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UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 


B1OLOGV 

LIBRARY 

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FROM   THE    LIBRARY  OF 

DR.  JOSEPH  LECONTE. 

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REPORT 


ON  THE 


INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS, 


COMPRISING   THE 


MOLLUSCA,  CRUSTACEA,  ANNELTDA,  AND  RADIATA. 


A  \ 

f\  U  n  U  ST  U  S     Koci  ! 

// 


PUBLISHED  AGREEABLY  TO  AN  ORDER  OP 

THE  LEGISLATURE, 

BY  THE  COMMISSIONERS  ON  THE  ZOOLOGICAL  AND  BOTANICAL  SURVEY 
OF  THE  STATE. 


CAMBRIDGE: 
FOLSOM,  WELLS,  AND  THURSTON, 

PRINTERS   TO   THE   UNIVERSITY. 

1841. 


M  4 

BIOLOGY 

LIBRARY 

G 


CONTENTS 


INTRODUCTION  . 

MOLLUSCA    . 

321 

CRUSTACEA 

.    342 

ANNELIDA    . 

.    344 

RADIATA  . 

Noxious  AND  VALUABLE  ANIMALS       .  .     .    353 

.    363 

INDEX 

371 

LIST  OF  FIGURES         


145241 


To  GEORGE  B.  EMERSON,  ESQ., 

Chairman  of  the  Commissioners 

for  the  Zoological  Survey  of  the  State  : 
DEAR  SIR, 

I  AM  happy  to  inform  you  that  I  have  brought  to  a  close  my  re- 
searches concerning  those  departments  of  the  Zoology  of  the  State, 
which  were  assigned  to  me  ;  and  I  herewith  forward  to  you  such 
portion  of  my  Report  as  I  have  found  time  to  copy.  The  prepara- 
tion and  engraving  of  the  figures  with  which  I  have  been  instructed 
to  illustrate  the  work,  will,  however,  necessarily  cause  considerable 
delay  before  it  can  be  issued  from  the  press. 

Appointed,  as  I  suppose  myself  to  have  been,  under  that  section 
of  the  Constitution,  which  enjoins  it  upon  the  Legislature  to  encour- 
age the  arts  and  sciences,  and  to  promote,  among  other  things, 
"  a  natural  history  of  the  country"  I  have  ventured  to  make  my 
Report  mainly  of  a  scientific  character.  It  was  the  only  way  in 
which  my  labors  could  prove  of  much  practical  value,  inasmuch 
as  very  few  of  the  objects,  belonging  to  the  portion  of  the  animal 
kingdom  to  which  my  attention  has  been  given,  are  of  much  gen- 
eral interest,  or  of  much  importance  in  an  economical  point  of  view. 
I  could  not  but  suppose,  that  an  effort  to  contribute  something  towards 
that  branch  of  science,  which  we  have  hitherto  received  entirely  at 
the  hands  of  other  States  and  other  lands,  would  be  desired  and 
approved  ;  and  that  Massachusetts,  which  first  set  the  example  in 
those  investigations  of  territorial  natural  resources,  which  have  since 
been  undertaken  by  almost  every  State  in  the  Union,  would  not 
desire  to  be  behind  any  of  the  States  in  this  respect.  I  have,  there- 
fore, undertaken  to  present  something  more  than  a  mere  array  of 
names  in  the  form  of  a  catalogue. 

As  I  could  not  extend  my  plan,  fully,  to  all  the  objects  assigned 
me,  I  have  selected  the  SHELLS,  on  which  to  bestow  my  chief  atten- 
tion. These  I  have  endeavoured  to  describe  and  figure  in  such  a 


vi   INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

manner,  that  the  Report  might  be  used  as  a  school-manual  for  the 
study  of  the  Conchology  of  New  England.  Such  a  work  is  greatly 
in  demand,  and  nothing  of  the  kind  is  in  existence. 

I  have  also  given  a  Catalogue  of  the  Crustacea  and  Radiata  which 
have  been  noticed  in  the  State  ;  and  also  such  information  as  I  have 
been  able  to  obtain  concerning  their  economical  uses  and  value. 

A  few  of  the  objects  noticed  in  the  Report,  have  been  obtained 
from  fishes,  and,  perhaps,  do  not  strictly  belong  to  the  waters  of 
Massachusetts. 

In  addition  to  the  Report,  I  have  made  a  collection  of  all  the 
objects  noticed  in  it.  This  collection  is  now  deposited  in  the  rooms 
of  the  Boston  Society  of  Natural  History.  It  is  desirable  that  it 
should  be  preserved  entire,  for  future  reference.  To  this  Collection 
and  to  the  Cabinet  of  the  Natural  History  Society,  the  numbers  in 
the  Report  refer. 

Very  respectfully,  yours,  &c., 

AUGUSTUS  A.   GOULD. 
Boston,  March  16,  1840. 


REPORT 


INVERTEBRATA  OP  MASSACHUSETTS, 


COMPRISING   THE 


MOLLUSCA,  CRUSTACEA,  ANNELIDA,  AND  RADIATA. 


BY 


AUGUSTUS    A.    GOULD,   M.  D. 


INTRODUCTION. 


IT  seems  requisite  for  a  clear  apprehension  of  the  following 
pages,  and  for  the  forming  of  a  just  estimate  of  the  authority  to 
which  they  may  be  entitled,  that  a  few  expositions  should  be  here 
given. 

No  attempt  has  hitherto  been  made  to  give  an  account  of  all  the 
shells  of  any  particular  region  on  this  continent.  No  book  exists 
in  which  we  may  find  descriptions  of  any  considerable  proportion 
of  the  whole  number  of  the  shells  of  the  United  States.  They 
are  scattered  through  many  volumes  and  periodicals,  such  as  trav- 
els, scientific  journals,  magazines,  newspapers,  &c.  The  works 
of  Say  and  Conrad  are  beautiful  and  accurate,  as  far  as  they  go  ; 
and  the  Journal  of  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences  at  Philadel- 
phia does  indeed  contain  descriptions  of  very  many  shells,  scat- 
tered through  its  volumes  ;  but  being  unaccompanied  by  figures, 
it  is  difficult  oftentimes  to  identify  the  shell  intended.  Moreover, 
all  these  works  are  rare  and  expensive  ;  and  it  is  very  difficult  for 
any  one  to  collect  together  all  the  books  requisite  for  the  study  of 
the  conchology  of  any  one  district  of  our  country.  Through 
public  libraries,  however,  and  the  liberality  of  individuals,  I  have 
had  access  to  every  publication  of  which  I  have  any  knowledge, 
that  would  be  likely  to  aid  me  in  my  undertaking.  The  references 
to  descriptions  and  figures  which  I  have  made,  will  show  to  what 
an  extent  these  works  have  been  consulted.  They  are  not  simply 
quoted  from  some  other  authority,  but  almost  every  one  of  them 
has  been  actually  inspected. 

For  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  the  arrangement  which  recent 
important  progress  in  the  study  of  the  Mollusca  would  indicate, 


x   INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

and  for  ascertaining  also  what  shells  are  common  to  the  two  At- 
lantic shores,  I  opened  a  correspondence,  for  information  and 
exchanges,  with  several  distinguished  European  conchologists, 
among  whom  I  may  mention  Mr.  G.  B.  Sowerby,  of  London, 
and  Dr.  Loven,  of  Stockholm.  The  former  is  well  known  as 
one  of  the  most  distinguished  conchologists  now  living.  To  him 
I  sent  every  doubtful  species,  and  such  as  I  apprehended  might 
be  identical  with  European  species.  Upon  these  he  remarked  at 
length,  and,  whenever  the  species  proved  to  be  European  also, 
sent  me  European  specimens  for  comparison,  as  well  as  such 
other  species  as  I  had  a  particular  desire  to  see.  For  the  very 
obliging  and  courteous  manner  in  which  he  has  thus  assisted  me 
in  solving  my  numerous  doubts,  I  cannot  express  my  obligations 
too  fully. 

With  Dr.  Loven,  who  has  for  many  years  been  exploring  the 
seas  of  the  north  of  Europe,  and  has  examined  the  standard  cabi- 
nets of  England,  France,  and  Sweden,  I  have  also  exchanged 
specimens.  Hence  I  have  obtained  additional  evidence  of  the 
identity  of  many  of  the  species  inhabiting  the  American  and  Euro- 
pean shores  of  the  Northern  Atlantic. 

I  have  pursued  the  same  course  with  American  conchologists, 
in  order  to  ascertain  with  certainty  whether  the  shells  of  this  State 
are  identical  with  those  described  by  authors  as  found  in  other 
and  even  very  distant  regions.  I  may  here  acknowledge  my  ob- 
ligations in  this  respect  to  Dr.  J.  W.  Mighels,  of  Portland,  Prof. 
Adams,  of  Middlebury  College,  Prof.  Benedict,  of  Vermont 
University,  Dr.  J.  C.  Jay,  of  New  York,  Mr.  T.  A.  Conrad,  of 
Philadelphia,  Mr.  S.  S.  Haldeman,  of  Marietta,  Pa.,  Dr.  E. 
Foreman,  of  Baltimore,  Mr.  J.  G.  Anthony,  of  Cincinnati,  and 
the  late  Dr.  Ward,  of  Roscoe,  Ohio. 

Wishing  for  every  possible  confirmation  that  the  names  I  had 
used  were  applied  to  the  same  shells  that  Mr.  Say  applied  them 
to,  I  visited  the  cabinet  of  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences,  at 
Philadelphia,  where  authentic  specimens  of  most  of  the  species 
described  by  Mr.  Say  are  deposited,  and  which  is,  in  other  re- 
spects, a  most  valuable  cabinet  to  the  American  naturalist,  as  it  is 
the  most  ancient. 


INTRODUCTION.  xi 

Living  in  a  maritime  city,  and  pursuing  a  profession  which  ad- 
mits of  but  the  occasional  absence  of  an  hour  or  two,  my  opportu- 
nities for  exploring  and  collecting  have  been  very  limited.  I  have 
been  dependent  upon  others,  less  confined  than  myself,  for  speci- 
mens, and  to  them  am  I  indebted  for  most  of  the  new  and  rare 
species  which  I  have  examined.  I  have  experienced  a  liberality 
and  cooperation  from  them,  without  which  I  could  have  done 
little. 

I  would  especially  acknowledge  the  liberality  of  Col.  J.  G. 
Totten,  U.  S.  Engineers,  for  a  choice  collection  of  shells  dredged 
by  him  in  the  harbour  of  Provincetown,  and  for  unlimited  per- 
mission to  select  specimens  from  his  extremely  perfect  cabinet  of 
American  shells.  Dr.  L.  M.  Yale,  of  Martha's  Vineyard,  has 
supplied  me  abundantly  with  the  shells  and  Crustacea  found  at  that 
island,  with  much  information  concerning  them.  Prof.  C.  B. 
Adams  has  contributed  the  numerous  new  species  found  by  him 
in  the  vicinity  of  New  Bedford.  From  Dr.  J.  B.  Forsyth,  of 
Sandwich,  I  have  received  shells  of  that  vicinity.  Mr.  J.  P. 
Couthouy,  besides  contributing  numerous  species,  directed  atten- 
tion to  the  examination  of  the  entrails  of  fishes,  especially  of  the 
haddock,  as  an  effectual  and  easy  mode  of  acquiring  the  deep- 
water  shells,  which  the  fishes  swallow  for  nourishment.  To  the 
cabinets  of  Rev.  F.  W.  P.  Greenwood,  Dr.  Seth  Bass,  and  Dr. 
D.  H.  Storer,  Mr.  T.  J.  Whittemore,  G.  B.  Emerson,  Esq., 
and  Amos  Binney,  Esq.,  I  have  had  free  access,  and  the  liberty 
of  employing  choice  specimens  for  descriptions  and  figures.  On 
the  last-named  gentleman  I  have  been  mainly  dependent  for  books  ; 
and  without  the  use  of  his  extensive  library  of  works  on  Natural 
History,  I  could  not  have  proceeded  with  any  degree  of  assurance 
or  satisfaction. 

Every  species  described,  and  indeed  almost  every  species  men- 
tioned, has  passed  under  my  own  eye.  The  descriptions  of  spe- 
cies previously  known  have  been  written  anew  ;  partly,  that  they 
might  be  more  minute  in  particulars,  and  partly,  with  the  hope  of 
using  language  somewhat  less  technical  than  is  ordinarily  employed 
by  scientific  men.  Technical  terms  cannot  be  wholly  avoided  ; 
and  wherever  they  are  dispensed  with  for  the  sake  of  intelligibility, 
it  is  at  the  expense  of  precision. 


xii      INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

A  conviction  that  the  value  of  the  work  would  be  greatly  en- 
hanced by  figures  of  such  objects  as  have  not  been  represented, 
or  only  in  works  which  can  rarely  be  seen,  has  induced  me  to 
avail  myself  of  the  permission  given  to  add  the  desirable  plates. 
The  figures  have  all  been  drawn  by  my  own  hand,  from  nature. 
The  engravings  are  not  highly  finished,  but  are  sufficiently  char- 
acteristic. 

Having  often  been  embarrassed  by  an  uncertainty  as  to  the 
true  pronunciation  of  scientific  names,  and  finding  a  great  diversity 
of  modes  practised  among  naturalists,  I  have  attempted  to  remove 
the  difficulty,  and  have  affixed  the  proper  accents  to  every  name. 
In  this  labor  I  have  been  greatly  aided  by  the  classic  accuracy  of 
Mr.  C.  Folsom,  the  conductor  of  the  University  Press,  Cam- 
bridge. 

It  is  necessary  to  advert  briefly,  also,  to  the  position  in  which 
a  shell  should  be  held  when  comparing  it  with  a  description.  The 
shell  is  supposed  to  be  examined  in  the  same  attitude  which  it 
assumes  when  its  animal  is  in  motion.  In  the  bivalve  shells  the 
beaks  are  at  the  summit,  usually  over,  and  always  near  the  hinge, 
and  always  directed  inwards  and  forwards  ;  opposite  to  the  beaks 
is  the  base  ;  the  height  of  the  shell  will  of  course  be  a  line  perpen- 
dicular from  the  beaks  to  the  base,  or  more  properly,  a  line  par- 
allel to  this,  where  the  greatest  altitude  is  found.  The  anterior 
end  is  usually  shorter  and  more  exactly  rounded  than  the  poste- 
rior or  hinder  end,  which  is  also  higher  and  more  gaping  than  the 
anterior.  When  the  palleal  impression  has  a  nook  or  sinus,  this 
always  opens  backwards.  The  breadth  will  measure  the  greatest 
distance  between  the^  sides  of  the  two  valves.  If  we  take  a  uni- 
valve shell  and  apply  its  aperture  to  the  table,  we  shall  have  nearly 
the  position  in  which  the  animal  carries  it.  The  point  of  the 
spire  will  then  be  directed  backwards  and  upwards,  and  the  oppo- 
site extremity  will  be  the  front.  The  terms  front,  anterior,  and 
posteriory  as  now  used,  correspond  to  the  terms  base,  lower,  and 
upper,  of  most  books.  The  latter  terms  I  have  occasionally  em- 
ployed, when  I  thought  they  would  convey  most  definite  ideas  ; 
but  they  are  less  proper,  and  are  always  to  be  considered  as  sy- 
nonymous with  the  former.  Imagining  the  shell,  then,  to  be  car- 


INTRODUCTION.  xiii 

ried  forward  in  its  true  position  by  the  animal,  the  terms  right  and 
left  are  to  be  applied  as  they  would  be  to  any  other  animal. 

In  addition  to  the  usual  measurements,  I  have  adopted  another, 
for  the  univalve  shells,  which  I  call  "  divergence.'7  It  was  first 
employed  by  Professor  Adams,  under  the  name  of  "  apicial  an- 
gle," that  is,  the  angle  which  would  embrace  the  spire  lengthwise  ; 
in  other  words,  it  measures  the  tapering  of  the  spire. 

The  extent  and  difficulty  of  this  work  have  very  far  exceeded 
my  expectations.  The  unsettled  state  of  our  nomenclature, — 
the  scattered  state  of  the  materials  of  which  it  must  be  construct- 
ed, have  raised  almost  interminable  doubts  and  difficulties.  It  is 
ike  first  work  of  the  kind  attempted  in  this  country  ;  and  it  were 
presumptuous  to  hope  that  it  is  free  from  error.  It  is  not  a  diffi- 
cult thing  to  settle,  satisfactorily,  the  proper  genera  and  species 
of  nine  tenths  of  the  shells  and  other  objects  we  may  find.  But 
when  an  attempt  is  made  to  give  the  whole,  the  other  tithe  will  re- 
quire an  equal  amount  of  study,  and,  after  disposing  of  it  in  the 
best  way  we  can,  we  must  leave  it,  mortified  that  we  have  per- 
haps settled  nothing,  but  have  merely  given  an  opinion.  It  is  easy 
enough  to  see  errors  and  difficulties  in  these  cases,  but  it  is  not  so 
easy  to  adjust  them. 

Corrections  and  remarks  relating  to  the  facts  or  opinions  given 
in  the  Report  are  respectfully  solicited. 


INVERTEBRATA 


MASSACHUSETTS 


MOLLUSCA. 

THE  Mollusca*  are  animals  of  a  gelatinous  or  semi-fibrous 
structure,  having  no  solid  frame-work  or  skeleton,  and  being 
without  jointed  limbs.  They  reside  both  on  land  and  in  fresh  and 
salt  water.  The  variety  in  their  structure,  to  adapt  them  to  this 
diversity  of  habit,  is  very  great ;  and  their  digestive  and  generative 
organs  are  as  much  varied  to  constitute  them  carnivorous  and  her- 
bivorous, oviparous  and  viviparous,  as  they  are  in  the  higher  or- 
ders of  animals. 

Though  none  of  the  molluscous  or  soft  animals  have  any  thing 
like  a  skeleton,  and  some  of  them  have  nothing  solid  in  any  way 
attached  to  them,  yet  the  great  majority  have  the  power  of  secret- 
ing a  solid  structure  which  serves  them  as  a  habitation  and  a  pro- 
tection. These  last  animals  are  called  testaceous  mollusca,  or 
TESTACEA,  and  their  habitations  we  call  SHELLS. 

The  arrangement  and  study  of  these  marble  dwellings,  so  beau- 
tiful in  their  models,  so  inimitable  in  their  external  sculpture  and 
coloring,  and  oftentimes  having  their  interior  lined  with  pearl, 
constitutes  the  science  of  CONCHOLOGY.  This  science  is  or- 
dinarily understood  to  embrace  the  study  of  the  shells  only,  with- 
out reference  to  the  structure  and  habits  of  their  occupants. 
This,  it  will  be  at  once  seen,  is  altogether  unphilosophical,  —  as 
much  so  as  it  would  be  to  characterize  any  people  with  whom  we 


*  The  term  is  here  used  in  the  broad  sense  in  which  Cuvier  employed  it,  and 
includes  the  animals  embraced  by  Blainville  in  his  type  MALACOZOARIA. 

1 


INVERTEBRATA 


MASSACHUSETTS. 


MOLLUSCA. 

THE  Mollusca*  are  animals  of  a  gelatinous  or  semi-fibrous 
structure,  having  no  solid  frame-work  or  skeleton,  and  being 
without  jointed  limbs.  They  reside  both  on  land  and  in  fresh  and 
salt  water.  The  variety  in  their  structure,  to  adapt  them  to  this 
diversity  of  habit,  is  very  great ;  and  their  digestive  and  generative 
organs  are  as  much  varied  to  constitute  them  carnivorous  and  her- 
bivorous, oviparous  and  viviparous,  as  they  are  in  the  higher  or- 
ders of  animals. 

Though  none  of  the  molluscous  or  soft  animals  have  any  thing 
like  a  skeleton,  and  some  of  them  have  nothing  solid  in  any  way 
attached  to  them,  yet  the  great  majority  have  the  power  of  secret- 
ing a  solid  structure  which  serves  them  as  a  habitation  and  a  pro- 
tection. These  last  animals  are  called  testaceous  mollusca,  or 
TESTACEA,  and  their  habitations  we  call  SHELLS. 

The  arrangement  and  study  of  these  marble  dwellings,  so  beau- 
tiful in  their  models,  so  inimitable  in  their  external  sculpture  and 
coloring,  and  oftentimes  having  their  interior  lined  with  pearl, 
constitutes  the  science  of  CONCHOLOGY.  This  science  is  or- 
dinarily understood  to  embrace  the  study  of  the  shells  only,  with- 
out reference  to  the  structure  and  habits  of  their  occupants. 
This,  it  will  be  at  once  seen,  is  altogether  unphilosophical,  —  as 
much  so  as  it  would  be  to  characterize  any  people  with  whom  we 


*  The  term  is  here  used  in  the  broad  sense  in  which  Cuvier  employed  it,  and 
includes  the  animals  embraced  by  Blainville  in  his  type  MALACOZOARIA. 
1 


2   INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

had  no  previous  acquaintance,  by  the  style  of  their  architecture, 
instead  of  making  our  observations,  directly,  upon  the  people 
themselves. 

The  true  way  is  to  unite  the  study  of  the  animal  and  its  shell ; 
and,  while  we  base  the  more  general  classification  upon  the  struc- 
ture of  the  former,  we  may  characterize  the  species  by  their  less 
destructible  habitation,  the  shell.  The  science  thus  extended, 
has  received  the  appropriate  name,  MALACOLOGY. 

As  our  observations  are  to  embrace  only  a  limited  district,  in 
which  many  whole  families  of  Mollusca  are  yet  undiscovered,  and, 
indeed,  are  not  likely  to  be  found,  and  as  detailed  descriptions  of 
all  the  animals  would  be  alike  tedious  and  unprofitable  to  those  for 
whose  benefit  this  Commission  was  intended,  I  shall  incline  to  the 
old  plan,  and  confine  myself  principally  to  the  shells.  And  while 
the  arrangement  will  be  such  as  is  actually  indicated  by  the  struc- 
ture of  the  animals,  so  far  as  it  has  been  ascertained,  no  allusion 
will  be  made  to  them,  unless  materially  to  assist  in  the  recognition 
of  species,  or  when,  from  their  economical  importance,  some 
knowledge  of  them  is  desirable. 

The  naked  Mollusca,  as  I  before  observed,  are  not  numerous, 
at  least,  they  are  not  so  with  us.  They  are  found  both  on  land 
and  in  water,  and  seem  to  occupy  analogous  positions  in  the  dif- 
ferent elements.  Those  found  on  land  resemble  the  animals  of 
the  snail-shell,  and  are  ordinarily  supposed  to  be  those  animals, 
taking  a  stroll  from  their  domicils.  They  are  commonly  called 
slugs ;  but  their  counterparts  of  the  sea  cannot  with  propriety  be 
called  sea-slugs,  inasmuch  as  that  appellation  is  given  to  a  very 
different  group  of  animals. 

As  the  species  of  naked  Mollusca  which  have  as  yet  been  found 
with  us  are  few,  it  may  be  as  well  to  enumerate  them  here,  separ- 
ate from  the  Testacea,  though  their  position  in  a  natural  arrange- 
ment would  be  very  different. 

They  all  belong  to  that  division  of  mollusks,  which,  in  progres- 
sion, glide  along  upon  a  lengthened  foot  extending  under  the  body 
( Gasteropoda)  j  and  with  which  we  are  familiar  in  any  of  our 
snails,  or  the  common  periwinkles  of  our  sea-coast. 

Those  which  are  terrestrial  seem  all  of  them  to  belong  to  the 
genus  LIMAX.  They  have  an  elongated,  tapering  form,  the  head 


MOLLUSCA.  LIMAX.        3 

presenting  two  long  and  two  short  tentacula,  the  surface  somewhat 
granular  or  regularly  wrinkled  ;  and  on  the  back  is  a  shield-like 
mantle,  on  the  right  side  of  which  we  see  a  notch  opening  into  the 
respiratory  cavity.  They  are  found  under  decaying  logs,  and  under 
bits  of  wood  or  stones  in  damp  places,  where  they  feed  upon  the 
decaying  vegetable  matter  to  which  they  have  direct  access. 

They  can  scarcely  be  said  to  be  destitute  of  a  shell ;  for  they 
have  a  minute,  thin,  nail-like  shell,  concealed  under  the  front  part 
of  the  mantle. 

I  have  observed  two  species,  neither  of  which  has  been  de- 
scribed, so  far  as  I  have  been  able  to  ascertain.  One  of  them 
may  be  called 

LIMAX  togdta.  It  is  two  inches  or  more  in  length,  and  the 
shield  extends  quite  back  to  the  extremity  of  the  animal,  envel- 
oping the  whole  animal  except  the  head  ;  the  respiratory  notch  is 
near  the  front ;  the  surface  of  the  shield  is  neither  granulated  nor 
folded,  but  exhibits  a  uniform,  rough  appearance,  somewhat  like 
deer-skin  ;  its  margin  is  light  fawn-color,  the  back  is  a  dark  pur- 
plish slate-color,  and  the  sides  are  mottled  with  the  two  colors  ; 
the  foot  is  wrinkled  across,  and  is  of  a  darker  tint  than  the  sides. 
It  is  very  commonly  found  in  woods,  on  turning  over  prostrate 
logs. 

It  is  very  probable  that  the  great  developement  of  the  shield, 
and  its  peculiar  surface,  with  other  peculiarities,  which  the  con- 
tracted state  of  my  specimens  will  not  allow  me  to  perceive,  may 
entitle  this  animal  to  be  regarded  as  a  new  genus.  The  L.  Caro- 
liniensisj  Bosc,  is  an  allied  species.  Ferussac  coincides  with 
the  above  opinion. 

LIMAX  lunicdta.  This  is  a  smaller,  sub-cylindrical  species, 
about  T\  of  an  inch  in  length,  when  extended,  and  about  T\- 
in  width.  The  color  varies  from  dark  drab  to  dusky  brown,  and 
almost  to  black.  The  shield  is  short,  rounded  behind,  its  surface 
with  conspicuous,  interrupted,  concentric  wrinkles,  the  respira- 
tory notch  rather  behind  its  middle.  The  neck  is  smooth,  with 
an  elevated,  central  line.  The  back  behind  the  shield  is  marked 
with  broken  wrinkles,  arranged  lengthwise.  The  upper  tentacula 
are  granulated  and  black  at  their  tips.  Foot  very  narrow. 


4   INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

It  is  found  in  rich  grounds  under  stones  and  pieces  of  wood, 
where  it  may  be  sheltered  from  the  sun  ;  and  I  do  not  recollect 
ever  to  have  found  one  except  in  company  of  what  are  vulgarly 
called  sow-bugs  (Porcellio).  It  is  a  true  Limax,  and  may  be  the 
L.  agrestis  of  Europe. 

The  aquatic  species  are  much  more  numerous,  and  are  found 
in  every  sea.  They  are  all  remarkable  for  the  peculiar  arrange- 
ment of  their  branchia?  or  respiratory  organs.  These  are  ex- 
posed on  the  exterior  of  the  body  (Nudibranchiata,  Cuv.)  in  the 
form  of  little  tubercles,  filaments,  plumy  tufts,  or  branched  leafets  ; 
and  the  great  diversity  of  their  shape,  arrangement,  and  coloring, 
constitutes  the  principal  ornaments  and  most  obvious  character- 
istics of  the  animals.  They  have  four  tentacula  or  feelers,  two 
of  which  are  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  mouth,  and  are  not  con- 
spicuous, and  the  other  two  placed  at  some  distance  behind  the 
head,  capable  of  being  withdrawn  out  of  sight,  and  presenting  a 
laminated  structure  when  extended.  They  crawl  upon  the  bottom 
of  the  sea,  or  the  roots  of  marine  plants  on  which  they  feed. 
They  are  arranged  under  different  genera  according  to  the  dis- 
position of  their  branchiae  and  tentacula. 

In  DORIS,  the  branchiae  have  an  arborescent  appearance,  are 
capable  of  being  retracted,  are  seated  on  the  middle  line  of  the 
back  behind  the  centre,  and  are  arranged  about  the  anal  orifice  in 
a  circular  manner  (Cyclobranchiata,  Blainv.).  But  one  species 
has  as  yet  been  observed,  and  of  this  I  have  been  unable  to  find 
any  description.  I  have,  therefore,  ventured  to  describe  it  under 
the  name  of 

DORIS  illumindta.  Animal  prismatic,  somewhat  four-sided, 
the  back  arched  ;  color  a  pearly  white,  or  light  dove-color,  dotted 
with  greenish  ;  front  of  the  foot  slightly  dilated  at  angles  ;  upper 
lip  full  and  strongly  pursed  ;  a  line  of  six  tubercles  on  each  side 
diverges  from  the  front  to  each  side  of  the  tentacula,  making  the 
back,  at  this  part,  of  a  four-sided  form  ;  between  these  and  the 
branchial  tuft  are  four  more  tubercles  on  each  side,  in  parallel  lines, 
and  then  follow  two  on  each  side  much  longer  than  the  rest,  of  a 
somewhat  club-shaped  form,  followed  by  a  few  smaller  ones  to- 
wards the  tail  ;  sides  and  back  dotted  by  several  small  tubercles  ; 


MOLLUSCA.  TRITONIA.  5 

branchiae  fringed,  arranged  in  a  semicircle.  All  the  tubercles, 
the  tentacula,  and  the  branchiae  are  tipped  with  a  bright  sulphur- 
yellow  color.  Length  £  and  breadth  |  of  an  inch.  Found  in 
the  Bathing-house  at  Craigie's  Bridge,  Boston. 

Another  family  of  the  Nudibranchiata  have  the  branchiae  dis- 
posed in  numerous  tufts  along  the  sides  and  back  (Polybranchiatdj 
Blainv.),  and  they  are  not  capable  of  being  entirely  retracted. 
The  anal  orifice  also  is  found  on  the  right  side. 

Those  which  have  the  branchiae  arborescent,  and  the  tentacula 
about  the  mouth  somewhat  fringed,  constitute  the  genus  TRITONIA. 
We  have  one  species  of  this  genus. 

TRITONIA  arborescens,  Cuv. ;  Mem.  du  Mus.,  vi.  28,  pi.  1, 
f.  8-10.  Doris  arborescens,  MULL,  and  FABR.  Tritonia  Rey- 
noldsii,  COUTHOUY  ;  Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  ii.  74,  pi.  2, 
f.  1-4. 

Mr.  Couthouy  found  them  about  the  bathing-houses  and  timber- 
docks  in  Charles  River,  of  singular  size  and  beauty  ;  and  his  de- 
scription and  the  figures  illustrating  it,  are  such  as  to  give  us  an 
idea  of  the  animal  to  the  life.  He  found  that  the  specimens 
he  observed  differed  in  some  respects  from  the  details  given  by 
Cuvier  of  T.  arborescens  ;  and  therefore  he  instituted  a  new  spe- 
cific name.  But,  making  allowances  for  the  distortion  of  Cuvier's 
specimens,  which  had  doubtless  been  immersed  in  spirits,  and 
adding  the  assurance  of  Dr.  Loven,  that  the  living  T.  arborescens 
corresponds  exactly  with  Couthouy's  description  and  figures,  we 
have  reason  to  conclude,  that  the  animal  observed  by  the  two 
naturalists  is  the  same. 

Nothing  can  be  more  singular  than  this  slug-like  animal,  mottled 
with  brown  and  white,  overspread  with  numerous  wart-like  ex- 
crescences, and  apparently  bearing  some  fifteen  or  twenty  widely 
and  numerously  branched  plants,  which  are  the  branchiae.  There 
are  six  pairs  of  these,  including  the  tentacula,  besides  the  three 
pairs  about  the  mouth. 

Genus  EOLIS,  has  two  or  three  pairs  of  simple  tentacula,  one 
of  which  is  in  the  vicinity  of  the  mouth  ;  and  the  branchiae,  in  the 


6   INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

form  of  elongated  papillae,  arranged  in  rows  along  the  sides  or 
on  the  back. 

Mr.  Couthouy  ventures  the  conjecture,  that  these  papillae  are 
not  the  real  respiratory  organs,  because  he  has  seen  that  the  ani- 
mal will  voluntarily  throw  them  off,  from  slight  causes,  or  that 
it  may  be  forcibly  deprived  of  them  without  material  injury  ; 
which,  he  justly  remarks,  would  not  be  likely  to  be  the  case,  were 
they  organs  of  so  much  importance  as  the  branchiae.  He  is  dis- 
posed to  regard  them  as  merely  subsidiary  to  the  function  of  res- 
piration. He  has  described  and  figured  the  following  species. 


Bostoniensis.  Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.)  ii.  67,  pi.  1, 
f.  1.  Body  an  inch  or  more  in  length,  foot  large,  tapering  to  a 
point  behind,  color  faint  brownish-white  ;  tentacula  four,  cylin- 
drical, rather  long  ;  branchiae  numerous,  purplish-brown  tipped 
with  white,  disposed  in  four  or  five  clusters  of  12  or  15  filaments 
each,  on  each  side. 

This  is  probably  E.  rufibranchialis,  JOHNSTON,  Mag.  Nat. 
Hist.,  v.  428,  f.  85,  and  Annals  of  Nat.  Hist.,  i.  121.  He 
states  the  number  of  clusters  in  his  species  to  be  variable,  and 
more  or  less  definite,  and  that  the  color  varies,  being  reddish- 
brown,  rose-color,  scarlet,  &c. 

&OLIS  salmonacea,  COUTHOUY.  Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  ii. 
68,  pi.  1,  f.  2.  Body  oblong-ovate,  an  inch  or  more  in  length,  pale 
straw-color  ;  tentacula  four,  rather  short  and  blunt,  the  upper 
ones  minutely  serrated  at  the  sides  ;  branchial  filaments  about  100, 
flattened  at  their  sides,  disposed  in  lines  along  the  back,  of  a 
beautiful  salmon-color. 

EOLIS  diversa,  COUTHOUY.  Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  ii.  187, 
pi.  4,  f.  14.  Size  and  shape  about  the  same  as  the  preceding  ; 
color  a  pale  yellow,  tinted  red  ;  lower  tentacula  long  and  slender, 
upper  ones  short,  smooth,  rounded,  somewhat  behind  the  first  ; 
branchial  appendages  about  90,  slender,  color  orange,  disposed  in 
double  rows  along  the  back,  with  intermediate  shorter  ones. 

Differs  from  the  last  in  the  form  and  position  of  the  tentacula, 
the  color  of  the  branchiae,  &c.  ;  but  it  may  possibly  prove  the 
same. 


MOLLUSCA.  EOLIS.        7 

gymndtttj  COUTHOUY.  Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  ii.  69, 
pi.  1,  f.  3.  Nearly  an  inch  long,  slender,  whitish  ;  tentacula  four, 
the  inferior  pair  smooth  and  round,  the  superior  rather  shorter, 
compressed  and  minutely  serrated  at  their  sides  ;  branchial  ap- 
pendages reddish- brown,  disposed  in  seven  remote  clusters  of  five 
each,  along  each  side  of  the  back,  those  of  the  second  and  third 
pairs  longest  ;  back  otherwise  naked. 


There  are  also  a  few  animals  whose  organization  brings  them 
into  a  different  class  (Annelida) ,  which  form  for  themselves  a  solid 
covering.  As  they  are  usually  included  in  systems  of  Concholq- 
gy,  it  may  be  well  to  introduce  them  here. 

These  coverings  are  sometimes  composed  of  clay,  sometimes 
of  agglutinated  particles  of  sand,  and  some  are  calcareous  secre- 
tions, like  the  usual  material  of  shells.  They  are  all  of  a  tubular 
form,  tapering  posteriorly,  and  hence  the  animals  which  construct 
them  are  called  Tubicolce. 

PECTINA'RIA  Belgica,  LAM.  (Jlmphitrite  auricoma,  MULL.), 
State  Coll.,  No.  266,  has  a  conical  tube,  a  little  curved,  about  two 
inches  long,  and  a  fourth  of  an  inch  in  diameter  at  the  larger  end. 
It  is  composed  entirely  of  grains  of  sand,  cemented  together  by  a 
glutinous  secretion  of  the  animal,  in  a  single  layer,  and  in  regular 
order.  Of  course  the  tube  is  very  fragile.  The  animal  appears  at 
its  aperture,  bearing  on  its  head  two  tufts  of  short,  golden  plumes. 

It  is  not  unfrequently  found  thrown  upon  the  sandy  shores  of 
Cape  Cod  and  the  neighbouring  islands.  (FIGURE  1.) 

From  the  stomachs  of  fishes  I  have  taken  specimens  of  Pecti- 
naria  which  may  belong  to  a  different  species.  They  are  corn- 
posed  of  very  fine  grains  of  sand,  are  not  easily  crushed,  not 
more  than  an  inch  in  length,  and  quite  as  much  curved  as  the 
horns  of  cattle  usually  are.  State  Coll.,  No.  270.  (FIGURE  2.) 

AMPHITRI'TE  ventilabrum,  LAM.  (Sabella  penicillus,  LIN.), 
State  Coll.,  No.  259,  has  a  long  tube,  more  or  less  contorted,  com- 
posed of  clay.  The  animal,  when  protruded,  exhibits  two  beautiful 
tufts  of  long,  finely  feathered  branchiae.  It  is  very  common  on  the 
under  side  of  logs  which  have  lain  for  some  time  in  the  timber- 


8   INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

docks,  and  adheres  by  one  side  throughout  nearly  its  whole  length. 
It  is  also  found  upon  stones  drawn  up  from  the  bottom  of  the 
sea.  It  is  well  figured  by  Ellis,  Corallines,  pi.  34. 

The  family  Serpulea,  Lam.,  have  solid,  calcareous  tubes,  more 
or  less  coiled,  much  in  the  manner  of  serpents  ;  thus  approach- 
ing, in  form,  the  regular  shells. 

GENUS  SPIR^RBIS,  LAM. 
Tube  snail-like,  flattened  beneath  and  adhering. 

These  are  minute  tubes,  coiled  up  spirally,  found  adhering,  in 
large  numbers,  to  marine  plants,  and  sometimes  shells,  which  are 
thrown  up  from  deep  water.  They  are  usually  white,  so  as  to 
appear  like  dead  and  bleached  shells.  They  adhere  by  their  tips, 
and,  as  they  are  presented  to  the  eye,  most  of  them  appear 
dextral ;  but  if  we  consider  that  we  actually  look  at  the  base  of 
the  shell,  we  perceive  that  they  are  in  truth  reversed. 

SPIRORBIS   NAUTILOIDES,  Lam. 
State  Coll.,  No.  262.      Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2312. 

Shell  about  one  tenth  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  white  and  smooth, 
or  slightly  wrinkled,  consisting  of  three  or  four  whorls,  each  in- 
cluding the  preceding  one  ;  and,  as  each  rises  higher  than  the  other, 
they  form  a  tunnel-shaped  umbilicus,  exhibiting  a  portion  of  each 
volution  ;  the  suture  is  indistinct,  and  the  whorls  seem  con- 
solidated ;  the  outer  whorl  is  flattened  out  into  a  broad,  spreading 
base,  where  it  is  attached,  thus  increasing  the  diameter  of  the 
shell  at  this  part  by  nearly  one  half.  Aperture  circular. 

Found  on  sea-weed,  shells,  crabs,  &c.  It  is  the  Serpula  spi- 
rorbis  of  Linnaeus.  (FIGURE  3.) 

SPIRORBIS  SPIRILLUM,  Lam. 
State  Coll.,  No.  261.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2313. 

This  shell  is  of  about  the  same  size  as  the  preceding  ;  and  is 
distinguished  from  it  by  its  more  cylindrical  structure,  the  much 
greater  distinctness  of  the  whorls  in  the  umbilical  concavity,  a  more 


MOLLUSCA.  SERPULA.        9 

glossy  surface,  and  above  all,  by  the  absence  of  any  flattening  of 
the  outer  whorl  where  it  rests  upon  its  residence.  The  whorls 
are  so  loosely  connected  as  sometimes  to  be  entirely  distinct ;  and 
the  aperture  frequently  looks  directly  upward.  Aperture  cir- 
cular. 

This  species  is  more  common  than  the  preceding,  and  is  found 
grouped  in  a  similar  manner  upon  fuci,  stones,  &c.  It  is  the 
Serpula  spirillum  of  Linnaeus. 

SPIRORBIS  SINISTRORSA. 
State  Coll.,  No.  263.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2314. 

A  third  species,  which  I  take  to  be  the  one  above  named,  I 
have  seen  only  upon  stones  and  shells  drawn  up  by  fishing  lines  at 
St.  George's  Bank.  It  is  a  smooth,  glistening,  translucent  shell, 
with  three  or  four  whorls,  turning  in  opposition  to  the  sun.  The 
whorls  are  nearly  distinct  from  each  other,  not  always  preserving 
a  regular  spiral,  but  occasionally  stretching  out  for  some  distance 
in  a  straight  direction  ;  one  whorl  generally  lies  upon  another,  so 
that  the  outer  whorl  seldom  touches  the  object  on  which  the  shell 
rests.  Diameter  about  }  inch.  It  was  first  described  by  Mon- 
tagu, under  the  name  of  Serpula  sinistrorsa.  (FIGURE  4.) 

GENUS  SERPULA,  LIN. 

Tubes  solid,  calcareous,  irregularly  coiled,  solitary  or  in  groups, 
permanently  adherent ;  aperture  terminal,  rounded,  simple. 

It  is  probable  that  several  species  of  this  genus  live  on  our 
coast.  They  attach  themselves  to  stones,  pieces  of  wood,  and 
shells  of  the  mollusca  and  Crustacea  ;  and  such  of  them  as  we 
meet  with  are  generally  thrown  up  from  the  deep  by  violent 
storms,  or  conveyed  from  warm  climates  on  the  bottoms  of  vessels. 
They  grow  to  a  much  larger  size  than  Spirorbis,  and  are  chiefly 
distinguished  by  not  observing  any  regularity  in  the  arrangement 
of  their  convolutions.  I  am  not  certain  that  we  have  more  than 
one  species  habitually  living  on  our  coast. 
2 


10  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

SERPULA  VERMICULA'RIS.     Lin.,  &c. 
State  Coll.,  No.  260.      Soc.  Cab.,  No.  851. 

Shell  cylindric,  the  tube  gradually  enlarging,  white,  somewhat 
wrinkled  circularly,  usually  adhering  throughout  its  whole  length, 
but  observing  no  particular  mode  of  convolution  ;  when  arrived 
at  a  large  size,  the  aperture  is  of  the  magnitude  of  a  goose's 
quill. 


We  may  now  proceed  to  describe  the  testaceous  mollusca  of 
this  State,  in  their  natural  order,  so  far  as  that  order  is  yet  de- 
termined. 

They  may  be  arranged,  in  the  first  place,  under  three  grand  di- 
visions, based  principally  upon  their  most  conspicuous  external 
organs,  those  which  are  employed  in  progression  or  in  procuring 
their  food. 

A.  Tentacular  branchiae  fringed  and  coiled,  used  for  prehension  ; 
shells  multivalve,  CIRRI'PEDES,  Lam. 

B.  Inhabiting  bivalve  shells,  CONCHI'FERA,*  Lam. 

C.  Having  a  foot  beneath  them  adapted  to  creeping ;  shells  mostly 
univalve,  GASTERO'PODA,  Cuv. 

It  will  not  be  necessary  to  enter  into  an  exposition  of  all  the 
families  and  further  sub-divisions  which  may,  or  might,  have  been 
instituted.  The  object  is  to  render  the  matter  as  available  as 
possible  to  beginners  in  science,  or  to  the  general  reader. 

*  The  more  comprehensive  and  more  approved  term  ACEPHALA  is  here  avoided, 
in  order  to  exclude  the  Ascidiens  of  Lamarck,  which  are  true  headless  mollusks, 
but  without  shells. 


MOLLUSC  A.  11 


CLASS  CIRRIPEDES,    LAM. 

The  Cirripedes  are  so  called  from  their  arms  or  tentacles, 
which  are  curled  up  like  a  lock  of  hair,  and  with  which  they  seize 
their  prey.  It  is  the  group  of  animals  which  inhabit  the  shells 
commonly  called  barnacles. 

These  shells  are  all  fixed,  either  directly  or  indirectly  to  some 
foreign  body.  To  compensate  for  this  relative  immobility,  they 
usually  attach  themselves  to  locomotive  or  floating  objects,  such 
as  drift  wood,  vessels'  bottoms,  fishes,  lobsters,  &c.  Many  of 
them  are,  therefore,  extensive  voyagers,  and  hail  from  no  particu- 
lar sea.  During  the  last  summer,  two  vessels  lay  side  by  side  at 
one  of  our  wharves,  one  from  India,  the  other  from  Sweden,  and 
their  bottoms  were  occupied  by  similar  species  of  barnacles. 
In  long  voyages,  especially  in  warm  climates,  and  still  more  cer- 
tainly where  vessels  are  not  sheathed  with  copper,  the  barnacles 
adhere  in  incredible  numbers,  and  grow  to  such  a  size,  as  materially 
to  impede  the  course  of  the  vessel.  Conveyed  in  this  way,  they 
are  brought  in  contact  with  their  food,  and  are  seen  in  every  port. 
Other  barnacles  adhere  to  stones,  piles,  and  similar  immovable 
objects,  and  are  entirely  dependent  for  their  food  upon  such  ob- 
jects as  the  passing  current  brings  within  the  reach  of  their  arms. 

They  have  several  pairs  of  arms  or  tentacles,  which  they  can  coil 
up  within  their  shell,  or  protrude,  at  pleas- 
ure. Each  of  the  arms  is  double,  and 
their  edges  are  garnished  with  a  kind  of 
fringe,  so  that  they  appear  somewhat  like 
small  feathers.  When  covered  by  water, 
for  they  are  sometimes  left  by  the  tide, 
their  arms  are  in  constant  motion,  and  re- 
mind one  of  the  spread  human  hand  grasp- 
ing at  something  in  space,  a  musquito,  for 
instance.  This  grasping  motion  is  regular, 
at  the  rate  of  80  or  100  times  in  a  minute. 

Nature  has  also  provided  that  these  sedentary  animals  may  be 
widely  diffused.  Eggs  are  discharged  by  the  parent  in  great  num- 
bers, which  soon  produce  little  animals  very  different  in  shape 


12  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

from  their  parents.  These  float  about  in  the  sea  in  countless 
numbers,  until  they  come  in  contact  with  some  substantial  resi- 
dence, to  which  they  unceremoniously  affix  themselves,  and  then 
assume  the  shape  and  habit  of  the  parent. 

The  obstruction  they  cause  to  vessels  is  the  only  material  harm 
they  do  ;  while,  on  the  other  hand,  they  afford  no  little  protec- 
tion to  wharves,  the  piles  of  bridges,  and  other  submerged  wood- 
en structures,  by  encasing  them  with  a  bony  crust. 

Only  two  or  three  species  permanently  inhabit  our  shores  ;  but 
as  they  are  constantly  seen  and  collected  at  all  our  wharves  and 
ship-yards,  I  have  thought  proper  to  regard  them  as  denizens. 

The  Cirripedes  are  naturally  divided  into  two  groups  ;  those 
which  are  sessile  (sessilia),  or  seated  firmly  and  directly  upon 
their  station,  and  those  which  are  mounted  upon  a  stem  or  stalk 
(pedunculdta) . 

t  SESSILIA.     Shells  sessile. 
GENUS  CORONULA,  LAM. 

Shell  of  five  consolidated  pieces,  conoid,  truncated  at  its  extrem- 
ity ;  walls  very  thick,  interiorly  excavated  into  radiating  cells ; 
operculum  of  four  valves. 

Shells  belonging  to  this  genus  live  attached  to  the  skin  or  shell 
of  some  marine  animal.  Two  or  three  species  of  them  live, 
partially  imbedded,  in  the  skin  of  the  whale.  This  monster  of 
the  deep  is  not  unfrequently  taken  in  the  vicinity  of  Cape  Cod  and 
Cape  Ann,  and  one  species  of  barnacle  has  been  found  upon  him. 

CORONULA  DIADE'MA. 

Shell  globose-conical,  truncated  at  tip ;  surface  exhibiting  six 
triangles,  each  of  which  has  four  ribs,  marked  across  with  beaded 
strice. 

State  Coll.,  No.  255.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2075. 

Lepas  diadema,  LIN.,  MONTAGU  ;  Test.  Brit.  13.  WOOD  ;  Index,  pi.  1,  f.  2.  BORN  ; 
JI/MS.,  t.  l,f.  5,  6.  GUALT.  j  t.  106,  f.  A.  Phil  Trans.  1758,  t.  34,  f.  1.  CHEMN.  ; 
Conch.,  viii.  t.  99,  f.  843,  844.  LISTER  ;  Conch.,  t.  445,  f.  288.  DONOVAN  ;  Brit. 
Shells,  ii.  t.  56,  f.  1,  2. 


CIRRIPEDES.  MOLLUSCA.  BALANUS.  13 

Balanus  diadema,  BRUG.  ;  Encyc.  M6th.,  pi.  165,  f.  13,  14. 

Coronula  diadema,  LAM.  ;  An.  sans  Vert.,  v.  652.  LEACH  ;  Encyc.  Brit.  SuppL,in. 
171.  BLAINV.  j  Diet,  des  Sc.  Nat.,  x.  and  xxxii.  pi.  117,  f.  4.  SOWERBY  ;  Genera, 
f.  1.  BURMEISTER  j  Naturgesch.  der  Rankenfilsse,  34,  pi.  2,  f.  1  -  14. 

Poly'lepas  diadema,  GRAY;  Annals  of  P kilos  ,  x.  105. 

Diadema  vulgaris,  SCHUMACHER;  Nouv.  Syst.  des  Vers,  91. 

Shell  usually  cylindrical,  with  a  conical  summit,  truncated  at 
tip,  sometimes  of  an  inflated  or  globose-conical  form.  The  sur- 
face is  divided  into  twelve  triangular  compartments,  six  with  the 
apex  downwards  which  are  depressed,  plain,  and  faintly  striated 
across  ;  and  six  with  the  apex  upwards,  each  of  which  has  four 
rounded  ribs,  marked  across  with  beaded  folds  or  wrinkles  ;  orifice 
one  third,  or  more,  of  the  diameter  of  the  base,  mostly  closed  by  a 
membrane,  through  a  fissure  in  which,  closed  by  two  valves,  the 
arms  are  protruded.  Beneath,  arranged  in  six  compartments, 
each  of  which  is  excavated  into  three  cells  with  a  small,  interme- 
diate one  at  the  circumference.  Diameter  1^  to  2  inches,  height 
an  inch  or  more. 

It  is  distinguished  from  C.  lalanaris  by  its  more  erect  and  elongated 
form,  its  larger  orifice,  and  the  beaded  wrinkles  of  the  surface. 

GENUS  BALANUS,  LAM. 

The  Balani  or  Sea-acorns  are  immovable  in  all  their  external 
parts,  and  attach  themselves  generally  to  inanimate  bodies,  either 
fixed  or  floating,  though  they  are  occasionally  found  attached  to 
lobsters,  shells,  corals,  &c. 

BALANUS  TINTINNABULUM. 

Shell  purplish,  conical,  the  six  triangles  with  irregular,  unequal 
ribs,  the  intervening  spaces  sculptured  across  with  distinct  lines; 
operculum  rostrated  behind. 

State  Coll.,  No.  250.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2076. 

Lepas  tintinnabulum,  LIN.;  Syst.  JVaf.,  1108.  CHEMN.  ;  Conch.,  viii.  t.  97, 
f.  828,  829,  830.  GUALT.  ;  Conch.,  t.  106,  f.  H.  RUMPHIUS  ;  Mus.,  t.  41,  f.  A. 
KNORR;  Vergn.v.  t.  30,  f.  1.  WOOD;  Index,  pi.  1,  f.  5.  Gen.  Conch.,  t.  6,f.  1. 

Balanus  tintinnabulum,  LAM.  ;  An.  sans  Vert.,  v.  658.  BRUG.;  Encyc.  Meth.,  pi. 
164,  f.  5.  SOWERBY;  Genera,  fig.  1.  SCHUMACHER;  Essai,  fyc.,  90.  RAN- 
ZANI  ;  Memorie,  <^c.,  33,  pi.  2,  f.  2-4  GRAY;  Annals  of  Philos.,  x.  104. 

Shell  conical,  the  sides  more  or  less  inclined,  and  sometimes 
a  little  turgid  ;  color  violaceous.  Surface  having  the  raised  tri- 


14  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

angles  grooved  lengthwise, ^so  as  to  form  numerous  unequal,  irreg- 
ular ribs  ;  and  these  are  crossed  by  distant,  circular  threads, 
which  probably  indicate  the  stages  of  growth  ;  the  depressed 
areas  are  plain  and  glistening,  marked  across  by  regular,  deeply 
sculptured  lines.  Aperture  sub-triangular.  Two  anterior  valves 
of  the  operculum  deeply  grooved  or  plaited  ;  the  two  posterior, 
on  each  side,  rising  considerably  above  them  and  curving  forwards, 
resemble  the  beak  of  a  bird  of  prey  ;  at  their  sides  slightly 
grooved.  Diameter  at  base  1  inch  ;  height  1J  inches. 

This  species  probably  does  not  breed  in  our  climate,  but  is  one 
of  the  most  common  shells  found  on  vessels  arriving  from  warmer 
regions. 

There  are  some  other  species,  similar  to  this,  which  are  occasional- 
ly, but  less  frequently,  observed.  B.  tulipa  is  principally  distinguished 
by  its  more  rosy  tint ;  the  raised  areas  are  distinctly  marked  across, 
but  scarcely  at  all  lengthwise,  and  the  depressed  areas  are  nearly 
smooth.  B.  gigas  and  sulcata  are  also  closely  allied. 

BALANUS  GENICULA'TUS. 

Shell  conical,  ichite,  the  prominent  triangles  with  8  or  10  usually 
alternately  larger  and  smaller  ribs,  rendered  rough  by  coarse  lines 
of  growth  ;  valves  of  operculum  coarsely  striated. 

FIGURE   9. 
State  Coll.,  No.  254.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2310. 

Balanus  geniculatus,  CONRAD;  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.,  vi.  265,  pi.  11,  f.  16. 

Shell  regularly  conical,  dirty  greenish-white  ;  much  like  B.  tin- 
tinnabulum  in  its  exterior,  but  broader  at  base  in  proportion  to 
its  height,  and  never  inflated  ;  the  elevated  triangles  on  each 
side  of  the  posterior  one  are  very  small,  with  only  two  or  three 
ribs  ;  the  others  are  sub-equal,  and  have  8  or  10  ribs  ;  these 
are  much  raised,  but  usually  alternately  larger  and  smaller, 
somewhat  compressed  at  the  sides,  and  their  edges  rendered 
nodulous  by  the  conspicuous,  rather  distant  lines  of  growth,  which 
cross  them.  The  depressed  areas  are  faintly  marked  with  minute, 
crowded  cross  lines.  Diameter  of  the  aperture  about  half  that 
of  the  base.  Operculum  having  the  anterior  valves  wrought  into 
coarsely  plaited  ridges,  which  incline  over  each  other,  and  which 


CIRRIPEDES.  MOLLUSCA.  BALANUS.  15 

are  crossed  by  very  fine  radiating  lines.  Diameter  at  base  1  to 
1|  inches,  height  two  thirds  of  the  diameter. 

Found  almost  invariably  attached  to  Pecten  Magellanicus,  on 
which  it  is  occasionally  drawn  up  by  our  fishermen  ;  and  is  abun- 
dant along  the  eastern  coast  of  Maine,  and  at  the  Bank  fishing- 
grounds. 

This  shell,  like  its  co-species,  is  subject  to  many  varieties;  and 
some  of  them  approach  so  nearly  to  some  of  the  figures  and  descrip- 
tions of  B.  Scoticus  and  B.  communis  of  the  North  of  Europe,  that  it  is 
really  difficult  to  decide  upon  its  title  to  a  distinct  appellation.  In  this 
case  it  seems  proper,  for  the  present,  to  retain  the  name  which  Mr. 
Conrad  undoubtedly  applied  to  this  shell.  The  number  of  ribs  varies, 
as  do  the  elevations  upon  them  ;  which  last  are  usually  two,  however, 
as  Mr.  Conrad  observes. 

BALANUS  EBURNEUS. 

Shell  white,  smooth,  obliquely  conical,  the  raised  triangles  with 
lanceolate  points,  all  inclined  backwards,  within  regularly  grooved ; 
operculum  with  the  two  anterior  valves  decussated  at  base,  not 
beaked. 

FIGURE  6. 

State  Coll.,  No.  253.  Soc.  Cab.,  No.  3418. 
Shell  white,  smooth,  hinge  obliquely  conical,  circular  at  base, 
inclining  backwards  ;  the  raised  portions  are  smooth,  or  very 
faintly  wrinkled  lengthwise  ;  they  all  terminate  in  sharp,  lance- 
pointed  summits,  all  of  which  point  backwards,  and  the  last  one 
curves  over  so  much  as  to  form  a  prominent  beak.  The  interme- 
diate, depressed  spaces  are  small  and  usually  plain,  but  in  very 
old  specimens  they  are  crossed  by  crowded,  rasp-like  lines.  In- 
terior regularly  and  firmly  grooved  up  and  down,  and  the  walls 
with  a  single  series  of  pores,  equal  in  number  to  the  grooves. 
Aperture  constantly  ovate-triangular,  rounded  in  front,  acutely 
angular  behind,  moderately  large.  Operculum  has  the  two 
anterior  valves  checked  with  transverse  and  longitudinal  lines, 
which  are  well  defined  at  base,  but  almost  disappear  at  tip  ;  they 
are  coarsely  toothed  at  their  adjacent  edges  ;  the  posterior  valves 
very  slightly  grooved  across.  The  tips  of  all  four  valves  meet 
and  form  an  accurate  pyramidal  summit.  Diameter  at  base  f 
inch,  height  |  inch. 


16      INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

Adheres  in  clusters  to  floating  wood,  to  shells,  Crustacea,  &c. 
It  may  be  obtained  almost  any  time  at  a  lobster-stand.  It  often 
attains  a  much  larger  size. 

It  differs  from  all  other  described  species  in  having  its  surface  en- 
tirely without  ribs.  In  its  earliest  stages,  B.  ovularis  is  also  smooth, 
and  similar  in  shape  to  the  young  of  this  species ;  but  even  then,  this 
shell  exhibits  its  triangular  aperture,  while  the  other  is  diamond- 
shaped.  B.  ovularis  and  B.  Ixvis  of  Lamarck,  though  both  described 
as  smooth,  are  both  said  to  have  delicate  ribs.  The  first  is  also  de- 
scribed as  cylindrical ;  while  the  second  is  said  to  have  a  contracted 
aperture.  Mr.  Sowerby  states  that  he  is  unacquainted  with  it.  It 
appears  not  to  be  an  uncommon  or  a  local  species,  as  I  have  taken  it 
from  the  bottom  of  a  ship  of  war  from  the  West  India  station. 

BALANUS  RUGO'SUS. 

Shell  white,  sub -cylindrical,  valves  raised  into  angular  points  ; 
without,  coarsely  and  irregularly  ribbed  ;  aperture  large,  rhomboid- 
al ;  operculum  nearly  smooth,  ivith  acute,  curved,  slightly  diverging 
points. 

FIGURE   10. 
State  Coll.,  No.  289.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2311. 

Lepas  borealis,  DONOVAN  ;  Brit.  Shells,  v.  pi.  160. 
Lepas  rugosa,  WOOD  ;  Gen.  Conch.,  41,  pi.  6,  f.  4. 
Balanus  rugosus,  MONTAGU  ;  Test.  Brit.,  8.  DILLWYN  ;  CataL,  17. 

Shell  white,  erect,  cylindrical,  or  somewhat  conical,  but  usually 
as  broad  at  summit  as  at  base,  and  its  height  frequently  exceeding 
its  diameter.  Summits  of  the  valves  rising  into  acute,  spreading 
points,  the  posterior  one  folded  and  curved  into  a  beak  ;  exterior 
very  rough,  with  coarse,  unequal,  flexuous  folds  or  ribs  ;  the  de- 
pressed areas  small,  smooth,  and  shining.  Interior  slightly  grooved 
at  base,  otherwise  smooth.  Aperture  large,  diamond-shaped  ; 
valves  of  the  operculum  rising  into  acute,  diverging  points  ;  the 
separated  portions  distinctly  striated  from  before  backwards  ; 
surface  smooth,  or  delicately  wrinkled  from  side  to  side,  margins 
direct.  Diameter  of  base  sometimes  £  inch. 

Of  these  I  found  fine  specimens  on  a  pine  log  lying  upon  the 
beach  at  East  Boston.  But  they  are  usually  obtained  further 
northward,  seated  upon  Pecten  Islandicus,  Fusus  Islandicus,  &c. 


CIRRIPEDES.  MOLLUSCA.  BALANUS.          17 

This,  like  the  following  species,  may  be  only  one  of  the  Protean 
forms  of  Lepas  balanoides  of  Linnaeus.  In  a  shell  of  so  anomalous 
a  character,  I  have  chosen  to  abide  by  what  is  certain  ;  and  I  think  it 
is  certain,  that  the  shell  before  me  is  the  same  as  the  shells  of 
Montagu  and  Donovan.  It  accords  exactly  with  the  description  by  the 
former,  and  the  figures  by  the  latter.  It  attains  a  much  larger  size 
than  the  next  species,  and  may  be  easily  distinguished  from  it,  under 
any  disguise,  by  its  simple  opercular  valves,  and  their  acute,  diverging 
points.  The  exterior  is  more  rugged  than  that  of  any  other  species  I 
have  seen. 

BALANUS  OVULA'RIS. 

Shell  small,  white,  variable  in  shape,  more  or  less  furrowed  ex- 
ternally ;  aperture  rhomboidal ;  opercular  valves  obsoletely  striated, 
the  anterior  ones  shortest  and  acute,  the  posterior  ones  deeply  notched 
near  the  obtuse  summit. 

FIGURE  7. 
State  Coll.,  No.  252.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2080. 

Balanus  ovularis,  LAM.  ;  An,  sans  Vert.,  v.  660. 

Lepas  balanoides,  LIN.  ;  Syst.  Nat.,  1108. 

Lepas  balanus,  WOOD  ;   Gen.  Conch.,  pi.  7,  f.  3.    Index,  pi.  1,  f.  11. 

Under  this  name  I  would  notice  our  most  common  barnacle. 
The  few  characters  given  to  the  species  by  Lamarck  would  apply 
to  this  shell  with  less  reservation  than  any  other  description  I 
have  seen.  It  is  found,  of  all  shapes  and  ages,  crowded  together 
upon  every  rock  or  wooden  fixture  between  high  and  low  water 
mark  ;  and  it  is  for  the  most  part  confined  to  stations  where  it  is 
half  the  time  left  by  the  tide,  while  the  preceding  species  seems 
to  frequent  the  deep  water. 

In  shape  it  is  very  various.  Sometimes  it  has  a  low,  conical 
form,  its  height  being  less  than  half  of  its  base  ;  again,  its  height 
is  three  or  four  times  as  great  as  the  diameter  of  its  base,  and  its 
summit  broader  than  its  base.  In  its  early  stages  it  is  smooth,  SQ 
that  the  valves  are  always  plain  at  their  summits  ;  but  soon  the 
base  becomes  scolloped  by  four  or  five  grooves  on  each  valve,  and 
these  grooves  then  continue  on  all  the  subsequent  growth  of  the 
shell.  The  summit  is  usually  even,  as  if  all  the  points  of  the 
valves  had  been  clipped  off ;  but  in  an  exuberant  growth  they  are 
elevated  irl  the  form  of  thin,  blunt  plates.  The  aperture  is  dia- 
3 


18     INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

mond-shaped,  moderately  large.  In  such  a  diversity  of  external 
character,  we  must  look  chiefly  to  the  opercular  valves  for  any 
constancy  of  form.  These  are  smooth  or  faintly  marked  across 
with  fine  lines,  that  appear  as  if  they  were  about  to  be  effaced. 
The  two  front  valves  are  regularly  pointed  by  the  junction  of 
their  boundary  lines  ;  they  are  united  by  a  simple  suture,  and  a 
profile  view  shows  them  to  be  a  little  gibbous  or  keeled  at  the 
suture,  just  before  their  summits.  The  other  valves  are  blunt  at 
tip,  and  are  deeply  grooved,  each  side,  for  the  reception  of  the 
outer  edge  of  the  anterior  valves,  so  as  to  exhibit  a  deep  notch 
just  below  their  summit.  This  notch  is  the  most  obvious  dis- 
tinctive character  of  the  species,  together  with  the  circumstance, 
that  the  tips  present  no  prominent  points,  and  do  not  diverge. 
Interior  smooth  and  plain,  except  that  there  is  a  fold  answering  to 
each  external  depressed  area. 

Compared  with  B.  rugosus,  its  exterior  is  much  less  rugged,  it 
never  attains  so  large  a  size,  its  summit  is  more  simple,  and  its 
shape  more  variable.  From  this,  and  from  specimens  of  B.  ba- 
lanoides  sent  me  from  England,  it  differs  especially  in  the  sum- 
mits of  the  valves.  These  are  better  indicated  by  figures  than 

by  description. 

i 
BALANUS  ELONGA'TUS. 

Shell  white,  very  much  elongated,  increasing  in  width  towards 
the  summit ;  opercular  valves  as  in  B.  ovularis. 

Lepas  elongala,  LIN.,  GMEL.  j  3213.    CHEMN.  ;  Conch.,  viii.  t.  98,  f.  838.    PENNANT  ; 

Brit.  ZooL,  iv.  t.  37,  f.  A.  5. 
Balanus  clavatus,  PULTENEY  ;  Dorset  CataL,  t.  1,  f.  6.     MONTAGU;  Test.  Brit., 

10.     WOOD  ;  Index,  pi.  1,  f.  13.     Gen.  Conch.,  t.  7,  f.  1. 
Balanus  fistulosus,  BRUG.  ;  Encyc.  Mtth.,  166,  t.  164,  f.  7,  8.    LAM.;  An.  sans 

Vert.,  v.  665. 

FIGURE  8. 
State  Coll.,  No.  251.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2081. 

The  shells  to  which  the  above  names  have  been  applied,  and 
which  have  attracted  considerable  attention,  seem,  after  all,  not 
to  be  entitled  to  the  rank  of  species.  They  are  now  regarded 
as  elongated  varieties  of  other  species,  having  assumed  their  pe- 
culiar shape  from  the  circumstance  of  their  being  so  crowded  as  to 
oblige  them  to  make  all  their  growth  in  one  direction.  That  this 


CIRRIPEDES,  MOLLUSCA.  ANATIPA.          19 

is  in  all  cases  the  true  explanation,  I  am  not  disposed  to  admit. 
The  largest  specimens  I  have  seen  were  found  in  a  protected 
situation,  under  a  bridge  on  the  Dorchester  turnpike  road,  and  they 
were  so  situated  as  to  have  full  scope  for  growth  in  any  direction. 
They  were  often  solitary,  and  an  examination  of  the  space 
around  them  forbade  the  suspicion  that  they  had  ever  been  group- 
ed. Under  the  wharves  at  Provincetown,  I  have  noticed  them  so 
crowded  as  to  justify  the  explanation.  Certain  it  is,  however,  that 
the  opercular  valves,  the  most  important  and  most  constant  por- 
tions, differ  in  no  respect  from  the  depressed  conical  specimens. 
All  the  elongated  specimens  of  our  coast  have  the  valves  of 
B.  ovuldris.  The  exterior  of  the  shell  is  the  same  also,  if  we 
make  allowance  for  the  peculiarity  of  form.  We  should,  there- 
fore, consider  it  as  an  accidental,  or  rapidly  developed,  form  of 
some  other  species. 

ft  PEDUNCULATA.     Shells  pedunculated. 

GENUS  ANATIFA,  LAMARCK. 

Shell  sub-triangular ,  compressed,  composed  of  five  unequal  valves 
united  by  cartilage,  and  seated  on  a  fleshy  stalk. 

The  shells  of  this  genus  are  the  true  barnacles.  They  do  not 
seem  to  have  a  fixed  abode  anywhere  on  our  coast ;  yet  they  are 
at  all  times  found  among  us,  either  in  the  character  of  visitors  or 
emigrants.  The  shells  vary  so  much  with  age,  that  it  is  not 
always  easy  to  define  the  limits  of  species,  or  to  refer  a  shell  to 
its  true  species.  More  species  exist  in  bt)oks  than  in  nature. 
The  animal,  when  seen  alive,  in  most  cases,  removes  all  uncertain- 
ty. These  shells,  though  everywhere  common,  seem  to  be  re- 
garded everywhere  as  strangers.  They  are  Jews  among  other 
shells.  Hence  they  seem  to  have  been  but  little  studied. 

ANATIFA  L^VIS. 

Shell  slightly  wrinkled  by  the  lines  of  growth,  crossed  by  very 
faint,  radiating  lines  ;  valve  at  the  back  broad,  flat,  and  smooth  ; 
cartilages  and  stalk  at  base  of  shell  orange ;  animal  light-colored. 

WOOD-CUT,  (see  p.  11.) 
State  Coll.,  No.  248.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2083. 

Lepas  anatifera,  LIN.  ;    Syst.,  1109.     CHEMN.  ;  Conch.,  viii.  340,  t.  100,  f.  853. 
PENNANT  ;  Brit.  ZooL,  pi.  38,  f.  9.     ELLIS  ;  Phil.  Trans.  1758,  vol.  50,  pi.  34, 


20  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

f.  5.    DONOVAN;  Brit.  Shells,  pi.  7.    WOOD;  Gen.  Conch.,  pi.  11.     CUVIER  ; 

R&gne  Anim.,  iii.  176. 
Anatifa  lee  vis,  BRUG.  ;   Encyc.    M6th.t   166,  f.   1.     LAM.  ;   Jin.    sans   Vert.,  v. 

675.    SCHUMACHER;  Nouveau  Syst.,  fyc.,  97. 
Anatifa  vulgaris,  GRAY  ;  Jlnnals  of  Philos.,  x.  100. 
Pentelasmis  anatifera,  LEACH  ;  Encyc.  Brit.,  Suppl.,  iii.  170.    SOWERBY  ;  Genera, 

f.  1,  2. 

Pentelepas  leevis,  BLAINVILLE  ;  Malacol.,  pi.  84,  f.  3. 
Pollicipes  Isevis,  GUERIN  ;  Iconog.,  Mollusques,  pi.  37,  f.  1. 
Lepas  anatifera,  TURTON  ;  Conch.  Diet.,  71. 

Shell  bluish-white,  the  lower  valves  triangular,  rather  obtuse  at 
summit,  wrinkled  by  the  lines  of  growth,  and  with  very  faint  ra- 
diating lines  from  the  anterior  basal  angle  ;  upper  valves  triangular, 
narrow,  pointing  downwards,  tip  blunted,  and  leaving  quite  a  large 
space  occupied  only  by  membrane  ;  very  near  the  apex  is  a  dis- 
tinct angle  at  the  back  ;  apex  rounded  ;  back  valv-e  rather  broad, 
not  much  compressed,  sometimes  grooved  lengthwise.  Cartilage 
of  the  living  shell  of  an  orange-color,  as  is  also  a  portion  of  the 
stalk  adjoining  the  shell.  Stalk  of  a  light  fawn-color.  Cirri  or 
arms  light  flesh-color.  Length  of  shell  about  1  inch,  of  the  stalk 
from  1  to  6  inches. 

Found  on  the  bottoms  of  vessels,  and  on  drift  wood. 

The  orange  ring  at  the  base  of  the  shell,  and  also  the  cartilages, 
the  light-colored  cirri,  the  large  space  following  the  lower  point  of 
the  upper  valves,  the  posterior  angle  of  the  upper  valves  being  very 
near  the  summit,  and  the  broad  back,  are  the  peculiar  marks  of  this 
species. 

ANATIFA  STRIATA. 

Valves  with  radiating  strict ;  posterior  angle  of  upper  valves 
somewhat  remote  from  apex ;  back  valve  compressed  ;  animal  dark 
slate-color. 

State  Coll.,  No.  249.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2084. 

Lepas  anserifera,  LIN.;  Syst.,  1109.  LISTER;  Conch.,  pi.  440,  f.  283.  DONO- 
VAN ;  Brit.  Shells,  pi.  166,  f.  2.  WOOD  ;  Gen.  Conch.,  pi.  10,  f.  5.  TURTON  ; 
Conch.  Diet.,  72.  GUALT.  ;  Test.,  t.  106,  f.  2,  3.  CHEMN.  ;  Conch.,  viii.  t.  100, 
f.  856. 

Anatifa  striata,  BRUG.  ;  Diet.,  No.  4,  Encyc.  Mtth.,  pi.  166,  f.  2.  LAM.  ;  An.  sans 
Vert.,  v.  676. 

Pentelasmis  striata,  LEACH  ;  Cirrhip.  campyl. 


CIRRIPEDES.  MOLLUSCA.  ANATIFA.         21 

Very  similar  to  the  preceding.  Its  angles  are  everywhere 
more  pointed  ;  the  surface  is  marked  with  radiating  lines  proceed- 
ing from  the  anterior-inferior  and  posterior-superior  angles  ;  this 
latter  angle  is  at  some  distance  from  the  summit,  and  the  interven- 
ing space  is  often  emarginate  ;  sometimes  a  range  of  five  or  six 
impressed,  blackish  dots  runs  from  the  angle  of  the  base  across  the 
side  valves  ;  the  back  valve  is  compressed  throughout  its  whole 
length,  so  as  to  form  a  sharp  edge,  which  is  often  more  or  less 
toothed.  The  margins  are  faintly  tipped  with  orange,  but  not 
broadly,  as  in  the  last  species.  The  animal  is  dark-brown,  and 
does  not  attain  to  a  great  length.  The  cirri  are  of  a  dark  slate- 
color.  Size  same  as  A.  Icevis. 

Such  are  characters  of  two  species  of  shells,  which  I  found  in  great 
numbers  and  perfection  on  a  Swedish  vessel.  I  believe  them  to  be  the 
true  Lepas  analifera  and  anserifera  of  Linnaeus.  I  am  not  a  little  in- 
clined to  think  that  the  A.  stridta  of  modern  authors  is  a  different  spe- 
cies, of  which  L.  sulcata  of  Montagu  is  the  young,  and  with  which  L. 
anserifera  is  not  synonymous.  The  difference  in  the  marking  of  the 
surface  is  not  very  remarkable,  but  the  color  of  the  stem  and  of  the 
cirri  is  decisive.  The  back  valve  of  A.  stridta  is  either  sharp  or 
broken  into  teeth,  passing  imperceptibly  into  the  next  species,  which 
is  principally  characterized  by  the  sharp  serratures  along  the  back. 

ANATIFA  DENTATA. 

Surface  distinctly  striated  in  a  radiated  manner ;  carinated  near 
the  anterior  margin ;  posterior  valve  compressed  to  a  sharp  edge, 
which  is  sharply  serrate. 

FIGURE  11. 

State  Coll.,  No.  256.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2085. 

Lepas  dentata,  WOOD  ;  Gen.  Conch.,  67.     DJLLWYN  ;  CataL,  32. 

Lepas  serrata,  SOLANDER;  Mss. 

Anatifa  dentata,  BRUG.  ;  Encyc.  .MM.,  63, 1. 166,  f.  6.    LAM.  ;  Jin.  sans  Vert.,  v.  676. 

Shell  rather  shorter  and  less  compressed  than  the  preceding  ; 
the  lines  of  growth  and  radiating  lines  are  quite  distinct ;  a  very 
decided  angular  line  or  carina  passes  from  the  anterior  base  di- 
rectly towards  the  summit,  at  a  little  distance  from  the  margin  ; 
the  summit  is  broadly  truncated  almost  directly  across  ;  the  dor- 
sal valve  is  compressed  so  as  to  form  a  prominent,  sharp  edge, 
which  at  every  age  presents  ten  or  twelve  teeth  like  those  of  a 
saw  ;  this  valve  is  very  distinctly  furrowed  lengthwise. 


22  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 


GENUS  CINERAS,  LEACH. 

This  curious  genus,  with  the  next,  is  very  singular  in  its  ap- 
pearance, and  very  easily  recognised.  It  has  the  general  form, 
structure,  and  habits  of  ANATIFA,  but  the  exterior  is  almost  entirely 
of  a  leathery  texture,  with  only  a  few  bony  pieces  at  the  back 
and  about  the  aperture.  None  of  them  are  permanent  residents 
in  our  seas,  but  may  be  always  found  on  foul-bottomed  vessels, 
or  attached  to  tardy-moving  fishes.  The  two  genera  CINERAS  and 
OTION,  are  almost  always  found  in  company,  and  are  united  in  the 
genus  GYMNOLEPAS  by  Blainville.  They  are  not  unfrequently 
called  "  the  naked  Cirripedes." 


VITTA'TA. 

Covering  leathery,  angular  at  summit,  with  jive,  narrow,  remote 
valves  ;  color  ichitish,  with  three  black  stripes  down  each  side. 

State  Coll.,  No.  257.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2089. 

Lepas  coriacea,  POLI  ;  Test.,  i.  tab.  6,  f.  20. 

Lepas  membranacea,  MONTAGU  ;  Lin.  Trans.,  ii.  182,  pi.  12,  f.  2. 

Lepas  vittata,  SOLANDER;  Mss.     WOOD  ;   Gen.  Conch.,  69,  pi.  12,  f.  2,  3.    Index, 

pi.  2,  f.  43. 

Senoclita  fasciata,  SCHUMACHER  ;  p.  98.     GRAY  ;  Annals  of  Philos.,  x.  100. 
Cineras  vittata,  LEACH  ;  Encyc.  Brit.,  Suppl.,  iii.  170,  pi.  57.    SOWERBY  ;  Genera. 

LAM.  ;  An.  sans  Vert.,  v.  684. 
Gymnolepas  Cranchii,  BLAINVILLE  ;  Malacol.,  pi.  84,  f.  2. 

The  exterior  is  of  a  leathery  consistence,  like  the  stem.  There 
is  no  distinct  line  of  division  between  the  pedicle  and  the  body, 
but  the  stem  gradually  dilates.  The  summit  is  obliquely  truncate, 
somewhat  concave,  and  margined  on  each  side  by  a  bony  forma- 
tion. The  aperture  is  also  margined  by  two  pointed  pieces,  and 
a  fifth  piece  runs  down  the  back.  Color  white,  with  three  black 
stripes  on  each  side,  the  two  posterior  ones  uniting  to  form  one 
on  the  stem.  Tentacula  of  the  color  of  the  stripes.  Length,  in- 
cluding pedicle,  often  2  inches. 

Found  on  the  bottoms  of  vessels,  and  also  on  some  of  the  large 
sluggish  fishes,  as  the  Orthagoriscus  mola. 


CIRRIPEDES.  MOLLUSCA.  OTION.       23 

OPTION  CUVIE'RI. 

Body  hood-shaped,  surmounted  by  two  ear-shaped  processes  or 
tubes  inclined  backwards  ;  a  small,  crescent-shaped  valve  on  each 
side  of  the  aperture  ;  color  livid-brown. 

State  Coll.,  No.  258.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2088. 

Lepas  aurita,  LIN.  j   Syst.  Nat ,  p.  1110.     ELLIS  ;  Philos.  Trans.,  1758,  t.  34,  f.  1. 

BRUG.  ;  Diet ,  p.  66.     MARTINI  ;  Conch,,  viii.  345,  t.  100,  f.  857,  858.     WOOD  j 

Gen.  Conch,  70,  t.  12,  f.  4.    -Index,  pi.  2,  f.  45. 
Lepas  leporina,  POLI  ;   Test.,  t.  6,  f.  51. 
Malacotta  bivalvis,  SCHUMACHER;  38. 
Option  Cuvieri,  LEACH  ;  Cirrip.,  Encyc.  Brit.,  Suppl.,  170,  pi.  57,  f.  3.     LAM.  ; 

An.  sans  Vert.,  v.  685.    SOWERBY  ;  Genera,  pi.  1-4.     GRAY  ;  Annals  of  Philos., 

v.  10,  100. 
Gymnolepas  Cuvieri,  BLAINVILLE  ;  MalacoL,  pi.  84,  f.  1. 

The  tunic  or  covering  of  this  animal  is  a  smooth,  leathery  mem- 
brane, of  a  livid  or  leaden-brown  hue,  appearing  glossy  when 
fresh.  The  pedicle  is  rather  long,  and  its  limit  of  union  with  the 
body  is  marked  by  a  well-defined  constriction.  The  body  is  hood- 
shaped  or  helmet-shaped,  surmounted  by  two  hollow  appendages, 
somewhat  resembling  the  ears  of  animals,  open  at  their  extremities, 
inclining  backwards.  The  aperture  is  large  and  gaping.  It  is 
fortified  by  a  small,  crescent-shaped  valve  on  each  side  at  its  base. 
Vestiges  of  rudimentary  valves  are  also  to  be  seen  at  the  summit. 
Cirri  of  the  same  color  as  the  tunic.  Length  from  2  to  4 
inches,  of  which  the  pedicle  constitutes  nearly  two  thirds. 

Found  on  vessels'  bottoms  and  in  other  situations,  in  company 
with  C  IN  ERAS  vittata. 


24     INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 


CLASS  CONCHfFERA. 

This  division  includes  all  the  mollusca  which  are  inclosed  in 
two  shells  (bivalve),  united  together  at  the  back  by  a  hinge,  like 
the  clam,  oyster,  mussel,  &c.  Sometimes  the  hinge  has  teeth 
shutting  by  the  side  of  each  other,  and  acting  much  like  the  com- 
mon butt-hinge.  Sometimes  there  are  small  additional  bony 
pieces  attached  about  the  hinge,  serving  to  strengthen  it  ;  and 
in  such  cases  the  shell  is  said  to  be  many-valved  (multivalve). 

The  animal  has  no  proper  head,  and  its  conspicuous  parts  are, 
First,  its  mantle,  which  lines  all  the  interior  of  the  shell,  and  incloses 
the  other  parts  of  the  animal.  Its  edges  are  more  or  less  fringed> 
and  are  either  free,  partly  united,  or  entirely  so,  excepting  a  passage 
for  the  foot  before,  and  for  the  siphons  behind.  Second,  a  mus- 
cular mass,  usually  called  the  foot,  which  may  be  protruded  from 
the  shell,  and  serves  as  the  organ  of  motion.  Third,  the  respira- 
tory organs,  or  branchiae,  arranged  somewhat  like  ruffles  behind  the 
foot,  enveloping  the  abdominal  mass.  Fourth,  the  siphons,  which 
are  the  openings  for  the  passage  of  excrement,  and  for  the  admis- 
sion of  water  to  the  branchiae  ;  sometimes  they  are  very  long,  and 
their  tips  are  usually  fringed.  There  are  also  two  thin,  elongated 
strips  on  each  side,  attached  to  the  mouth  and  passing  back  over 
the  sides  of  the  foot,  which  are  supposed  to  be  the  principal  or- 
gans for  the  detection  and  selection  of  food,  and  are  called  palpi. 

This  representation  of 
the  animal  of  MACH^'RA 
costata  may  serve  to  ex- 
emplify the  parts  above- 
mentioned. 

The  valves  are  kept  closed  by  strong  muscles,  which  pass  from 
one  valve  to  the  other.  When  these  are  relaxed,  the  valves  are 
thrown  open  by  the  elastic  nature  of  the  cartilage  or  ligament  at 
the  hinge.  The  uniting  substance  is  called  cartilage  when  it  is 
placed  between  the  edges  of  the  valves,  and  ligament  when  it  is 
situated  externally. 

The  interior  of  the  shell  exhibits  the  indentations  and  lines 


MOLLUSCA.  25 

where  the  muscles  and  mantle  or  pallium  are  attached  ;  and  are 
called  the  muscular  and  palleal  impressions.  The  latter  usually 
turns  inward  towards  the  centre  of  the  shell,  and  then  outwards, 
forming  a  notch  or  sinus,  more  or  less  deep,  at  one  end  of  the 
shell  ;  this  is  always  the  hinder  end. 

There  is  sometimes  only  one  muscular  impression,  but  gen- 
erally there  are  two,  in  each  valve.  These  serve  as  permanent 
marks  by  which  to  divide  the  conchs  into  two  groups,  the  Uni- 
musculosa  and  Bimusculosa. 

The  following  synopsis  may  enable  one  to  form  a  near  approxi- 
mation to  the  genus  of  any  of  our  bivalve  shells.  It  has  been 
drawn  up  without  any  reference  to  a  natural  arrangement,  and 
merely  to  aid  the  student,  by  grouping  the  shells  in  an  artificial 
manner,  to  come  more  easily  at  their  true  place  and  name. 

I.  Shell  transverse  or  rounded,  with  tioo  muscular  impressions.    BIMUSCULOSA. 
i.  Shell  gaping. 

1.  gaping  at  base  and  ends,  hinge  toothless. 

*  united  by  additional  valves,  Pholas. 

**  united  by  ligament,  Panopc^a,  Glycy'meris,  Ter&do. 

2.  gaping  at  the  ends  only,  and  with  hinge  (cardinal)  teeth. 

*  Cardinal  teeth  simple,  Solen,  Solecurlus,  Solemy^a,  Machce^ra. 
**  Cardinal  teeth  spoon-shaped. 

t  without  lateral  teeth,  Mya,  Anattna,  Montacuta,  Cochloddsma, 

Osteodesma. 

tt  with  lateral  teeth,  Mactra,  Mesodesma,  Cumingia,  K6llia. 
ii.  Shell  closed. 

1.  inequivalve,  Corbula,  Pandora,  Thracia. 

2.  equivalve. 

*  inhabiting  the  sea. 

t  teeth  rounded,  ascending,  Saxicava,  Petricola. 
it  teeth  compressed. 

§  sub-parallel,  Psammdbia,  TeWina,  Lucina. 
§§  diverging. 

a.  without  lateral  teeth,  Cypnna,  Cyther&a,  Venus, 

Astdrte. 

b.  with  lateral  teeth,  Cdrdium,  Cardita. 

**  inhabiting  fresh  water,  U^nio,  Masmodon,  Jl'nodon,  Cyclas. 

II.  Shell  fan-shaped  or  irregular,  with  one  muscular  impression.  UNIMUSCULOSA. 
i.  united  by  an  external  ligament,  Modiola,  My'tilus. 

ii.  united  by  an  internal  cartilage. 

1.  shell  regular,  Pecten. 

2.  shell  irregular. 

*  entire,  O'strea. 

**  valve  perforated,  Anbmia,  Terebrdtula. 
4 


INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 


FAMILY   TUBICOLARIA,  LAM. 

Shells  inclosed  in,  or  attached  to,  a  shelly  tube. 
GENUS  TEREDO,  Lm. 

Valves  equal,  largely  open  above  and  below,  placed  at  the  larger 
extremity  of  a  tube  open  at  both  ends. 

TEREDO  NAVA'LIS. 

Shell  very  widely  gaping  each  side,  and  seated  at  the  end  of  a 
flexuous,  calcareous  tube. 

State  Coll.,  No.  237.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2315. 

Teredo  navalis,  LIN.  ;  Syst.  Nat.,  1267.     BLAINVILLE  ;  Malacol,  pi.  81 ,  f.  6.    Sow- 
ERBY  ;  Genera.    BRUG.  ;  Encyc.  M£th.,  pi.  167,  f.  1  -  5. 

This  is  the  curious  shell  which  is  so  remarkable  for  perforating 
holes  in  timber,  giving  it  a  honey-comb  appearance.  These 
holes  are  lined  with  their  solid  white  tubes,  at  the  bottom  of  which 
the  shell  is  found.  The  shell  itself  is  small,  the  two  valves 
touching  each  other  at  only  two  points,  and  so  much  arched  that 
when  in  position  they  form  a  mere  ring. 

It  is  occasionally  found  in  ship-timber,  especially  where  it  has 
been  exposed  to  a  tropical  sea,  and  is  familiarly  known  by  the 
name  of  the  ship-worm. 

FAMILY  PHOLADARIA,  LAM. 

Shell  without  a  tubular  sheath  ;  hinge  aided  by  accessory  valves,  or  very 
widely  gaping  anteriorly. 

GENUS   PHOLAS,  LIN. 

Shell  transverse,  gaping  at  both  sides  ;  hinge  margin  rolled  out- 
wards and  toothless  ;  a  rib-like  tooth  arises  from  the  cavity  of  the 
beaks,  and  shoots  nearly  across  the  shell. 

Shells  of  this  genus  are  generally  found  in  logs  of  wood,  in 
stones,  or  hard  clay,  which  they  have  perforated  ;  and  they  have 
one  or  more  additional  bony  pieces  on  the  back  of  the  hinge. 


PHOLADARIA.  MOLLUSCA.  PHOLAS.         27 


PHOLAS  COSTATA. 

Shell  large,  oblong-ovate,  white,  covered  with  radiating,  toothed 
ribs. 

State  Coll.,  No.  246.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1702. 

Pholas  costatus,  LIN.;  Syst.  J\Tat.,  1111.  LISTER;  Conch.,  pi.  434.  GUALT.  ; 
Test.,  t.  105,  f.  G.  CHEMN.;  Conch.,  viii.  t.  101,  f.  863.  BRUG.  ;  Encyc. 
Meth.,  pi.  169,  f.  1,  2.  BLAINVILLE  ;  Malacol,  pi.  99,  f.  6.  So  WERE  Y  ;  Genera, 
No.  23,  pi.  1.  LAM.  ;  An.  sans  Vert.,  vi.  45.  WOOD  ;  Gen.  Conch.,  pi.  15, 
f.  1,2.  Index,  pi.  2,  f.  4. 

Shell  large,  thin,  inflated,  oblong-ovate,  rounded  before  and 
narrowed  behind,  white,  covered  with  radiating  ribs,  the  coarse 
lines  of  growth  rising  over  them  in  an  undulating  manner,  so  as  to 
produce  tooth-like  elevations  upon  them,  at  regular  intervals  ;  the 
interior  is  marked  with  corresponding  indentations.  Length  6 
inches,  height  2  inches. 

This  well  known  species  is  admitted  into  our  catalogue  from  the 
fact,  that  Professor  Adams  has  lately  discovered  an  extensive  bed  of 
dead  shells  at  New  Bedford.  It  probably  is  not  to  be  found  in  a  liv- 
ing state  in  our  waters.  Indeed,  Ivam  not  aware  that  it  is  found  living 
on  the  shores  of  any  of  the  Middle  or  Eastern  States.  It  is  found,  in 
the  above  locality,  of  all  sizes  and  ages,  its  most  delicate  portions 
entire,  forbidding  the  idea  that  these  shells  were  transported  by  any 
means  from  some  distant  locality.  It  is  certainly  remarkable,  that  a 
large  shell  should  have  been  abundant  at  no  very  distant  period,  which 
cannot  now  be  found  living  within  one  or  two  thousand  miles.  Some- 
thing of  the  same  kind  is  said  to  belong  to  the  history  of  the  oyster 
about  Cape  Cod. 

PHOLAS  CRISPATA. 

Valves  touching  at  the  middle  of  the  base,  and  widely  gaping  at 
both  sides  ;  a  furrow  passes  from  the  beaks  across  the  middle,  in 
front  of  which  are  radiating,  toothed  ribs. 

State  Coll.,  No.  247.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2316. 

Pholas  crispata,  LIN.;  Syst.  JVcrf.,  p.  1111.  GMELIN  ;  Syst.,  p.  3216.  PENNANT  ; 
Brit.  Zool.,  iv.  157,  t.  43,  f.  2.  MONTAGU  ;  Test.  Brit.,  23.  DONOVAN  ;  Brit. 
Shells,  ii.  pi.  62,  69.  CHEMN.;  viii.  369,  t.  102,  f.  872-874.  TURTON  ;  Brit. 
Biv.}  6.  Conch  Diet.,  146.  Lin.  Trans.,  viii.  32.  HUTCH.,  Dorset  Catal., 


28  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

27,  t.  3,  f.  4.     WOOD;  Gen.  Conch.,  81,  pi.  15,  f.  3-5.    Index,  pi.  2,  f.  5. 

DILLWYN;    CataL,  40.     DKSHAYES;    Encyc.   Milk,   Vtrs,   iii.    754,    pi.    169, 

f.   5,   7.     LAM.;    An.  sans   Pert.,  vi.  46.      SCHROET.  ;    Einl.  in   Conch.,  iii. 

541,  No.  6. 

Pholas  bifrons,  DA  COSTA  ;  Brit.  Conch. ,243,  t.  16,  f.  4. 
Pholas  latus,  LISTER  ;  Conch.,  t.  436,  f.  279,  and  Append.,  t.  10,  f.  3. 

Shell  oblong-oval,  thick  and  strong,  rounded  posteriorly,  nar- 
rowed anteriorly  into  a  sort  of  beak  ;  widely  gaping  at  both  ends, 
the  valves  touching  each  other  only  at  two  points,  viz.  the  hinge, 
and  the  middle  of  the  base.  Exterior  surface  marked  with 
numerous  coarse,  concentric  ridges,  which  become  lamellar  on 
the  anterior  half ;  the  laminae  are  strongly  toothed  on  their  free 
edge,  and  the  teeth  are  disposed  in  radiating  series.  The. valves 
are  divided  into  two  nearly  equal  portions  by  a  broad  channel 
running  from  the  beaks  to  the  middle  of  the  base.  Interior 
smooth,  showing  the  external  furrow,  the  upper  and  anterior  edge 
turned  outwards  so  as  to  present  large,  smooth  callosities  over 
the  beaks.  The  process  from  within  the  cavity  of  the  beaks  is 
large,  narrow,  and  a  little  flattened  at  the  tip.  Length  2  inches, 
height  1J  inch. 

A  very  perfect  specimen  of  this  shell  is  in  the  cabinet  of  Dr.  S.  Bass, 
which  was  found  at  Phillips's  Beach.  Young  specimens  were  found  in 
hard  clay  at  Phillips's  Beach  by  Mr.  Joseph  True.  They  differ  princi- 
pally in  gaping  only  anteriorly.  Full  grown  valves  are  occasionally 
thrown  up  on  all  our  beaches ;  but  it  is  more  common  at  the  South,  as 
along  the  shores  of  New  Jersey.  When  alive,  a  membranous  expan- 
sion covers  the  superior  border  of  the  shell. 

FAMILY  SOLENACEJl,  LAM. 

Shell  transversely  elongated,  without  accessory  pieces,  and  gaping  only  at 
the  ends* 

GENUS  SOLEN,  Lm. 

Shell  equivalve,  elongated,  sides  nearly  parallel,  gaping  at  both 
ends ;  beaks  very  small,  terminal ;  cardinal  teeth  small,  rounded, 
variable. 

SOLEN  ENSIS. 

Shell  six  times  as  long  as  high,  curved,  front  and  back  parallel, 
smooth,  yellowish-green ;  hinge  with  one  tooth  and  a  sharp  lateral 


SOLENACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  SOLECURTl/S.          29 

plate  of  one  valve  entering  between  two  teeth  and  a  double  plate  of 
the  other. 

State  Coll.,  No.  241.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1709, 

Solen  ensis,  LIN.  ;  Syst.  Nat.,  1114.  PENNANT  ;  Brit.  Zool.,  t.  45,  f.  22.  CHEMN.  'f 
Conch.,  vi.  t.  4,  f.  30.  MONTAGU;  Test.  Brit.,  48.  BRUG.  ;  Encyc.  Meth.,pl, 
223,  f.  2,  3.  TURTON;  Conc/t  D*'c£.,  160.  Brit.  Biv.,  p.  83.  WOOD  >  Gen, 
CtmcA  ,  pi.  28,  f.  1,  2.  TWez,  pi.  3,  f.  6.  LAM.;  An.  sans  Vert.,  vi.  55. 
CONRAD  ;  Marine  Conch.,  pi.  5,  f.  1.  DONOVAN  ;  Brit.  Shells,  pi.  50.  MATOI* 
and  RACKETT;  Lin.  Trans.,  viii.  44. 

Solen  curvus,  LISTER;   Conch  ,  t.  411,  f.  257. 

Shell  scabbard-shaped  ;  about  six  times  as  long  as  high,  the? 
ends  rounded,  the  front  and  back  nearly  parallel,  white  within,  and 
covered  without  by  a  glossy,  yellowish  or  brownish-green  epider- 
mis, which  folds  over  the  sharp  edge  of  the  shell.  On  the  sur- 
face is  a  triangle  of  lines  marking  the  termination  of  the  longer 
side  at  the  successive  stages  of  growth  ;  hinge  at  one  end  ;  on 
one  valve  is  a  single  tooth  from  which  a  rib  or  plate  extends  to 
the  ligament  ;  on  the  other  valve  are  two  teeth,  and  a  double 
plate  receiving  those  of  the  opposite  valve  between  them  ;  the 
terminations  of  the  two  ribs  rise  up  in  a  curved  manner  and  cross 
each  other  like  teeth,  when  not  broken  off,  as  they  usually  are. 
Length  of  a  good  specimen  6  inches,  height  1  inch. 

This  well-known  shell  is  found  on  both  shores  of  the  Atlantic. 
It  lives  on  sandy  beaches  near  low-water  mark,  as  at  Chelsea,  Na- 
hant,  and  Nantasket  beaches,  and  about  Newburyport,  Nantucket, 
&c.  It  is  displaced  by  heavy  storms,  and  thrown  up  by  the  tide. 
It  may  often  be  seen  projecting  a  little  above  the  level  of  the  sand, 
but,  if  touched  or  disturbed,  it  descends  with  astonishing  rapidity 
and  force,  muchto  the  amazement  of  him  who  may  lay  hold  of  it, 
thinking  to  make  an  easy  capture. 

The  animal  is  cylindrical,  too  long  for  the  shell,  and  is  often  used 
as  an  article  of  food  under  the  name  of  long  clam,  razor-Jish,  knife- 
handle,  &c.  These  names  are  enough  to  suggest  an  idea  of  the 
shell  to  any  one  who  is  not  already  familiar  with  it. 

GENUS   SOLECURTUS,   BLAINV. 

Shell  transverse,  elongated.,  equivalve,  the  beaks  small,  sub- 
central,  margins  nearly  parallel,  ends  abruptly  rounded  ;  hinge 


30  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

with  two  or  three  cardinal  teeth  in  each  valve  ;  ligament  prominent, 
seated  on  thick  callosities  ;  palleal  impression  with  a  very  deep 
sinus. 

The  above  generic  definition  will  include  all  the  shells  originally 
embraced  in  the  genus  by  Blainville,  except  those  of  his  first  di- 
vision, —  "  shells  compressed,  thin,  with  an  interior  rib  passing 
from  the  beaks  to  the  basal  margin."  An  acquaintance  with  the 
animal  has  shown  the  necessity  of  subdividing  his  genus.  Mr. 
Sowerby  proposes  to  limit  it  to  the  species  having  the  interior 
bar.  But  Deshayes,  in  his  edition  of  Lamarck,  has  already  limit- 
ed the  genus  to  shells  of  a  different  type  ;  and  it  would,  therefore, 
seem  most  proper  that  any  new  name  which  may  be  given  should 
be  applied  to  other  forms.  I  have,  therefore,  separated  those 
with  the  interior  bar  and  other  peculiarities  for  a  new  genus. 

If  we  adopt  Deshayes'  modification  of  the  genus,  so  that  it  shall 
include  only  ,such  as  are  transversely  oblong-oval,  covered  with 
obliquely  undulating  striae,  the  hinge  central,  &c.,  we  shall  still 
have  another  group  left,  of  shells  equally  distinct  in  character  by 
their  sub-cylindrical,  somewhat  arched  form,  compressed  at  base, 
the  extremities  abruptly  and  usually  obliquely  rounded,  the  beaks 
near  the  posterior  end,  the  parallel  sinus  very  deep,  &c.,  answer- 
ing, in  fact,  to  Mr.  Conrad's  sub-genus  CULTELLUS.  This  would, 
of  course,  assume  the  rank  of  a  genus  in  case  the  correctness  of 
the  above  views  should  be  acknowledged. 

Deshayes  says,  that  the  animal  of  S.  Caribous,  leg  amen,  &c., 
approaches  closely  to  that  of  the  true  Solen.  But,  as  the  genus 
Solen  now  admits  only  shells  with  terminal  beaks,  they  must  still 
be  arranged  under  Solecurtus. 

SOLECU'RTUS   (Cultellus)  CARIBOUS. 

Shell  sub-cylindrical^  thick,  rounded  posteriorly,  obliquely  trun- 
cated anteriorly ;  beaks  nearest  the  posterior  extremity. 

State  Coll.,  No.  224.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.   14. 

LISTER  ;  Conch.,  t.  421.  f.  265. 
Solen  Guineensis,  CHEMN.  ;  Conch.,  xi.  t.  198,  f.  1937.    DILLWYN;  CataL,  62, 

No.  13.  BRUG.  ;  Encyc.  Meth.,  pi.  225.  f.  1. 
Solen  Caribse^us,  LAM.;  Jin.  sans  Vert.,  vi.  58. 
Solecu'rtus  Caribous,  CONRAD  ;  Amer.  Mar.  Conch.,  4,  f.  3. 


- 

SOLENACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  SOLECURTUS.        31 

Shell  oblong, .transverse,  very  slightly  curved,  thick  and  strong, 
the  upper  and  lower  margins  nearly  parallel ;  beaks  obtuse  and 
slightly  elevated,  nearest  the  posterior  end ;  this  side  is  narrow- 
est, rounded  at  the  extremity,  and  having  an  obtuse  ridge  running 
obliquely  backwards  from  the  beaks  ;  anterior  extremity  ob- 
liquely truncated  or  abruptly  rounded  ;  basal  margin  somewhat 
compressed  ;  surface  coarsely  wrinkled  by  the  stages  of  growth, 
and  on  its  disc  are  a  few  short,  deep,  straight  scratches  from  the 
beaks  towards  the  base  ;  the  whole  covered  by  a  dense  and  strong 
yellowish  epidermis,  which  folds  over  the  edge.  Hinge  with  two 
awl-shaped  cardinal  teeth  in  each  valve,  curved,  ascending  : 
behind  them  is  a  thick  rounded  callus,  on  which  the  ligament  is 
fixed.  Interior  white,  thickened  ;  palleal  impression  with  a  sinus 
which  passes  beyond  the  beaks.  Length  4  inches,  height  *\\ 
inch,  breadth  1  inch. 

Found  in  Buzzard's  Bay,  at  New  Bedford  and  in  its  vicinity, 
occasionally,  which  seems  to  be  its  northern  limit. 

It  cannot  be  mistaken  for  any  other  of  our  shells. 

SOLECU'RTUS   (Cultellus)   FRA'GILIS. 

Shell  transversely  oblong-ovate,  arcuated,  equilateral,  with  a  red- 
dish stripe  from  the  beaks  passing  a  little  backwards,  designating 
the  place  of  an  obsolete  rib  within  ;  epidermis  yellowish. 

State  Coll.,  No.  242.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2317. 

Solen  fragilis,  PULTENEY  ;  Dorset  Catal.,  28.  pi.  4,  f.  5.  MONTAGU  ;  Test.  Brit., 
51.  Suppl^  26.  PENNANT  ;  Brit.  Zool.,  iv.  174.  WOOD  ;  Gen.  Conch.,  126.  pi. 
29,  f.  4,  5.  Index,  pi.  3.  f.  11.  DILLWYN  j  Catal.,  65.  FLEMING  j  Brit. 
Anim.,  460. 

Solecurtus  fragilis,  CONRAD  ;  Amer.  Mar.  Conch.,  19,  pi.  4,  f.  1. 

Solen  centralis,  SAY  ;  Journ.  dead.  JVai.  Sciences,  ii.  316. 

Psammobia  tasniata,  TDRTON  ;  Brit.  Biv.,  85,  pi.  8,  f.  5. 

Shell  small  and  delicate,  much  broader  than  high,  sub-oval ; 
beaks  not  prominent,  nearly  central  ;  the  upper  and  lower  margins 
curved,  nearly  parallel,  the  posterior  end  being,  however,  some- 
what more  sharply  rounded  than  the  anterior  ;*  when  viewed  at 
the  back,  the  shell  has  a  peculiar  compressed  appearance.  Sur- 
face smooth  at  the  central  region,  and  somewhat  wrinkled  at  the 
ends  ;  with  a  remarkable  band  of  reddish  purple  passing  from  the 


32     INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

beaks  across  the  shell,  growing  wider  and  fainter  in  its  progress  ; 
some  fainter  and  broader  radiations  may  also  be  seen  in  old  shells, 
when  the  epidermis  is  removed.  Epidermis  straw-colored,  or 
becoming  fawn-colored,  slightly  wrinkled  posteriorly.  Within, 
livid,  smooth,  and  shining,  becoming  thickened  by  age.  The  red 
stripe  is  visible  within,  and  covered  by  a  faint,  rib-like  thickening. 
Hinge  of  two  large,  ascending  teeth  on  each  valve,  one  of 
which,  on  the  left  valve,  grows  broad  and  is  emarginate  at  tip. 
Length  J^  inch,  height  -£  inch,  width  2\  inch. 

This,  like  the  preceding  species,  is  occasionally  found  at  New  Bed- 
ford, and  other  places  in  Buzzard's  Bay.  It  is  rather  common  about 
Rhode  Island.  I  have  never  met  with  a  specimen  north  of  Cape  Cod ; 
though,  if  our  shell  be  identical  with  the  S.  frdgilis  of  British  writers,  it 
is  found  on  the  Canada  coasts.  It  differs  from  the  fragile  specimens 
known  in  British  Cabinets,  simply  in  growing  to  a  much  larger  size, 
and  becoming  thick  and  strong, 

GENUS   MACH^ERA,  GOULD. 

Shell  transversely  oblong-oval,  compressed,  inequilateral,  mod- 
erately gaping;  beaks  minute.  Hinge  with  three  diverging  car- 
dinal teeth  in  the  left  valve,  the  middle  one  bifid,  the  third  one 
compressed,  delicate,  talcing  the  direction  of  the  margin,  or  obso- 
lete ;  on  the  right  valve  two,  entering  between  those  of  the  opposite 
valve.  Within,  usually  crossed  by  a  strong,  longitudinal  rib. 
Muscular  impressions  joined  by  a  deeply  sinuous  palleal  line. 
Ligament  prominent. 

Animal  not  much  larger  than  the  shell  ;  lobes  of  the  mantle 
united  for  about  half  their  length,  the  whole  of  their  margin  pecti- 
nated with  fleshy  teeth  from  near  the  siphon  to  the  hinge,  except 
where  they  pass  over  the  foot  ;  similar  bodies  are  also  found 
along  their  inner  sub-margin,  near  the  siphon.  Labial  palpi  long, 
extending  quite  across  the  foot,  pointed.  Branchiae  extending  to 
the  opening  of  the  siphon  and  embracing  about  half  the  breadth 
of  the  foot.  Foot  hatchet-shaped,  dilating  towards  its  extremity, 
which  is  obliquely  truncated.  Siphons  united  to  their  tips,  which 
have  scattered  hairs.  (WOOD-CUT  of  M.  costdta,  see  page  24.) 

The  above  is  the  description  of  the  animal  of  M.  costata.     It 


SOLENACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  SOLECURTUS.         33 

differs  from  Deshayes'  description  of  the  animal  of  SOLECU'RTUS 
strigillatus,  in  some  obvious  particulars.  He  makes  no  mention 
of  the  fringe  of  fleshy  teeth  along  the  margin  of  the  mantle,  which 
are  so  remarkable,  and  which  are  probably  retractile.  The  bran- 
chiae do  not  enter  the  siphon  ;  — the  foot  is  not  tongue-shaped,  but 
somewhat  club-shaped,  and  bent  at  a  right  angle  within  the  shell  ; 
and  the  siphons  are  united  entirely  to  their  extremities,  though 
the  branchial  is  slightly  more  elongated  than  the  anal  siphon. 

This  genus  embraces,  besides  the  two  species  here  described, 
the  Solen  radidtus,  LIN.,  (Solecurtus  lucidus,  Conrad,)  SOLEN 
maximus,  WOOD,  (Solecurtus  Nuttallii,  Conrad,)  SOLEN  inflexus, 
WOOD,  and  S.  pellucidus  of  Europe.  These  accord  with  our 
shells  in  all  respects,  except  that  the  third  tooth  of  the  left  valve 
in  some  of  them,  is  replaced  by  a  marginal  elevation  simply. 
They  differ  in  their  ovate  and  compressed  form  from  SOLE- 
CU'RTUS,  and  especially  do  they  differ  from  sub-genus  CUL- 
TE'LLUS  by  having  the  beaks  placed  anteriorly.  The  sinus  of  the 
palleal  impression  usually  extends  about  half  way  to  the  hinge. 

MACKLE'RA  NI'TIDA. 

Shell  slightly  recurved,  thick,  white,  undulated  by  the  lines  of 
growth,  covered  with  a  strong,  greenish-yellow,  shining  epidermis, 
corrugated  at  the  posterior  extremity. 

FIGURES  25,  26. 
State  Coll.,  No.  240.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1717. 

Shell  thick,  white,  oblong-ovate,  beaks  small,  situated  at  the 
anterior  fifth  of  the  shell,  narrowed  behind,  rounded  at  both  ex- 
tremities ;  the  posterior  hinge  margin  is  straight  and  somewhat 
compressed,  and  the  basal  margin  being  at  the  same  time  regularly 
curved  gives  the  shell  a  somewhat  recurved  aspect.  Epidermis 
thick,  shining,  as  if  varnished,  of  a  dusky  greenish-yellow  or  dark- 
gamboge  color,  wrinkled  obliquely  at  the  posterior  extremity,  and 
projecting  beyond  and  folding  around  the  edge  of  the  shell. 
Lines  of  growth  broadly  and  prominently  rounded,  giving  a  wavy 
appearance.  Within  white  and  strengthened  by  a  prominent  rib, 
which,  extending  from  the  beaks,  inclining  very  slightly  backwards, 
and  expanding,  loses  itself  in  the  shell  about  half  way  across  the 
5 


34  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

valve.  Hinge  having  the  teeth  seated  upon  the  base  of  the  rib  ; 
in  the  left  valve  three  ;  the  first  strong,  ascending  and  curved,  the 
second  still  stronger  and  widely  branched,  one  branch  being  erect, 
the  other  nearly  prostrate,  the  third  very  much  compressed, 
delicate,  at  right  angles  with  the  first  and  directed  parallel  to  the 
margin,  just  under  the  ligament ;  on  the  other  valve  two  teeth,  the 
first  prominent,  a  little  oblique,  the  other  very  thin  and  oblique, 
entering  between  the  middle  and  last  tooth  of  the  opposite  valve. 
Ligament  quite  protuberant.  Height  11  inch,  length  2£  inches, 
width  |  inch. 

Not  unfrequently  taken  from  the  stomachs  of  cod-fish  caught  on 
the  Banks,  and  sometimes  off  our  shores. 

This  species  differs  from  all  its  co-species  by  the  inclination  of  the 
rib  towards  the  longer  side  of  the  shell,  and  also  by  its  apparent  back- 
ward curvature.  It  is,  however,  very  closely  allied  to  the  shells 
figured  by  Wood  and  Conrad. 

It  is  very  rare  to  find  all  the  teeth  entire.  The  two  thin  teeth  next 
the  ligament  are  almost  always  broken  ;  but  a  careful  examination 
will  discover  their  vestiges ;  and  they  never  seem  to  be  obsolete. 
The  erect  tooth  of  the  left  valve  is  not  unfrequently  broken,  and  per- 
haps one  of  the  branches  of  the  bifurcated  tooth.  The  large  tooth  of 
the  right  valve  is  most  constant. 

'MACELE'RA  COSTA'TA. 

Shell  thin,  smooth,  shining;  epidermis  greenish,  zoned  and 
radiated  with  livid-violaceous ;  internal  rib  inclining  forward. 

FIGURE,  see  Wood-cut,  page  24. 
State  Coll.,  No.  239.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1716. 

Solen  costktus,  SAY;  Journ.  Jlcad.Nat.  Sc.,ii.  315. 

Solecurtus  costatus,  SAY;  Jimer.  Conch.,  pi.  18.     CONRAD;   Jlmcr.  Mar.  Conch., 
21,  pi.  4.  f.  2. 

Shell  ovate-elliptical,  thin,  fragile,  smooth,  and  diaphanous  ; 
beaks  very  minute,  placed  at  the  anterior  fourth  of  the  shell ;  pos- 
terior side  very  little  pointed,  its  upper  margin  compressed  and 
somewhat  crested  ;  basal  margin  sometimes  a  little  contracted  ; 
elsewhere  regularly  arcuated.  Epidermis  very  smooth  and  shin- 
ing, of  a  light  yellowish-green  color  blended  with  livid-violaceous 


SOLENACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  SOLEMYA.         35 

in  such  a  manner  as  to  form  three  radiated  compartments  of  each 
color.  There  are  minute  wrinkles  about  the  posterior  extremity, 
and  minute  series  of  them  across  the  middle  of  the  shell,  arranged 
so  as  to  appear  like  radiating  lines.  Within  livid,  and  somewhat 
iridescent.  Rib  white,  inclining  backwards,  and  extending, about 
two  thirds  across  the  valves.  Teeth  as  in  the  preceding  species, 
excepting  that  the  branch  of  the  bifurcated  tooth  is  less  prostrate. 
The  same  remark  as  to  their  deficiencies  applies  to  this  species  as 
to  the  other.  Height  £  inch,  length  ^  inch,  width  T\  inch. 

Found  abundantly  upon  every  sandy  beach,  and  probably 
inhabits  the  sand  in  shallow  water.  It  is  one  of  our  most  beauti- 
ful shells.  It  is  much  more  delicate  and  smaller  than  M.  nitidus. 
The  radiations  of  color  are  evident,  but  have  no  very  distinct 
dividing  lines  ;  a  whitish,  narrow  ray,  running  obliquely  backwards, 
and  another  answering  to  the  interior  rib,  are  generally  conspicu- 
ous. The  colors  are  also  arranged  in  zones,  as  well  as  rays. 

GENUS  SOLEMYA,   LAM. 

Shell  equivalve,  inequilateral,  transverse ;  epidermis  thick  and 
shining ,  projecting  far  beyond  the  margin ;  beaks  inconspicuous  ; 
hinge  margin  widened  and  excavated  to  form  a  receptacle  for  a 
cartilage,  usually  resting  on  a  rib-like  support. 

SOLEMY'A  VELUM. 

Shell  oblong,  very  thin  and  fragile  ;  epidermis  pale  yellowish- 
brown,  marked  with  radiating  lines ;  within  purplish-white ;  car- 
tilage-support arched,  the  points  directed  across  the  shell. 

State  Coll.,  No.  222.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.,  1738. 

Solemy^a  velum,  SAY  ;  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.}  ii.  317. 

Shell  remarkably  thin  and  fragile,  transversely  oblong,  rather 
broadest  behind  ;  very  inequilateral,  upper  and  lower  margins 
nearly  parallel,  ends  rounded  ;  beaks  in  no  degree  elevated,  but 
having  a  slight  pit  in  front  of  them  ;  surface  of  the  valves  radiated 
with  about  fifteen  slightly  impressed,  double  lines,  most  conspicu- 
ous posteriorly,  and  most  widely  separated  across  the  middle  ; 
short  end  distinctly  wrinkled  by  the  lines  of  growth  ;  epidermis 
light  yellowish-brown  or  chestnut-color,  firm,  elastic,  glossy,  at 


36  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

the  hinge  margin  connecting  the  valves  together  for  nearly  their 
whole  length,  and  elsewhere  projecting  far  beyond  the  margin  of  the 
calcareous  portion,  and  slit  at  each  of  the  radiating  lines,  whence 
the  edges  have  a  ragged,  fringed  appearance,  the  angles  of  the 
lobes  rounded  ;  hinge  toothless,  consisting  of  a  large  triangular  re- 
ceptacle for  the  cartilage,  in  each  valve,  resting  on,  and  partly 
inclosed  by,  a  whitish  bony  support,  arched  beneath,  the  legs  of 
the  arch  partly  inclosing  the  anterior  muscular  impression,  and  the 
hinder  branch  directed  nearly  across  the  shell.  Length  1  inch, 
height  |  inch,  breadth  T\  inch. 

Found  upon  Chelsea,  Nahant,  Nantasket,  and  other  sandy 
beaches,  generally  in  the  early  months,  and  some  years  in  great 
abundance.  At  Dartmouth  harbour,  Professor  Adams  found  them 
in  mud,  far  beyond  low- water  mark. 

It  is  an  exceedingly  delicate  and  curious  shell ;  its  epidermis,  hang- 
ing over  the  edges  like  a  veil,  at  once  distinguishing  it.  The  dimen- 
sions, given  above,  include  the  epidermis,  and  are  those  of  a  shell  of 
the  largest  size.  In  the  younger  stages  the  border  of  the  epidermis 
is  entire.  The  bony  substance  of  the  valves  is  so  thin,  that  the  lighter- 
colored  radiations  are  quite  obvious  within. 

Its  special  distinguishing  marks  will  be  more  particularly  pointed 
out  in  the  description  of  the  next  species. 

SOLEMYA  BOREA'LIS. 

Shell  fragile,  oblong;  epidermis  darJc-brown,  with  fifteen  to 
twenty  lighter  radiating  lines ;  within  grayish-blue  ;  cartilage- 
support  forked,  the  hinder  branch  directed  obliquely  forwards. 

State  Coll.,  No.  221.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1739. 

Solemysa  borealis,  TOTTEN  ;  Sillimaris  Journ.,  xxvi.,30';.  %.  1. 
Solemy'a  velum,  CONRAD;  Amur.  Mar.  Conch.,  pi.  66,  f.  J6. 

This  shell  would  be  described  in  terms  so  similar  to  those  em- 
ployed for  the  preceding  species,  that  a  notice  of  those  points  in 
which  they  differ  will  be  the  best  description. 

It  greatly  excels  in  size,  —  the  smallest  that  has  been  noticed 
exceeding  the  largest  S.  velum.  The  valves  are  less  convex, 
and  very  much  more  solid,  and  their  color  within  is  always  a 
grayish-blue  or  lead-color  ;  the  basal  margin  is  a  little  arched  up- 
wards ;  the  ends  are  a  little  scolloped,  there  being  a  slight  pro- 


SOLENACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  PANOPJEA.  37 

jection  corresponding  to  each  fissure  of  the  epidermis  ;  the 
cartilage-support  instead  of  being  arched  is  forked,  and  the  hinder 
branch  is  directed  obliquely  forwards,  extending  half  way  to  the 
anterior  margin  ;  the  epidermis  is  always  of  a  very  dark  brown 
or  tar-color,  marked  with  fifteen  to  twenty  radiating  lines  ;  the 
projecting  margin  is  slashed  as  in  the  other  species,  but  the  angles 
of  the  lobes  are  not  rounded,  their  edges  have  a  thinned,  crimped 
margin,  and  are  usually  rolled  back. 

Chelsea  Beach  is  the  only  locality  in  Massachusetts,  that  I  know  of, 
where  this  species  has  been  found.  A  very  large  and  perfect  speci- 
men was  found  there  by  Mr.  J.  P.  Couthouy,  and  is  now  in  the  cabinet 
of  the  Boston  Society  of  Natural  History.  Colonel  Totten  found  it  in 
considerable  numbers  in  the  vicinity  of  Newport. 

Only  two  other  species  of  this  genus  have  been  described  ;  the 
S.  Mediterrdnea  from  the  Mediterranean,  which  is  distinguished  from 
all  the  others  by  wanting  the  callous  supports  of  the  cartilage,  and  the 
S.  australis  from  New  Holland,  which  has  the  size  and  strength  of 
S.  borealis,  and  the  color  of  S.  velum.  A  notch  in  the  hinge  margin 
behind  the  cartilage  is  also  spoken  of,  which  we  do  not  find  in  S.  bo- 
redlis.  It  is  not  a  little  remarkable  that  a  genus  embracing  so  few 
species  should  be  so  widely  distributed. 

GENUS  PANOP^A,  MENARD. 

Shell  equivalve,  transverse,  unequally  gaping  at  the  sides  and  at 
the  base ;  a  small,  conical  tooth  on  each  valve,  and  a  rounded  cal- 
losity at  each  side  to  which  the  ligament  is  affixed. 

PANOP^E'A  ARCTICA. 

Shell  oblong,  sub-cylindrical,  strong,  widely  gaping  at  both 
ends,  rounded  anteriorly,  truncated  posteriorly,  traversed  by  two 
radiating,  wave-like  ridges,  which  divide  the  surface  into  three 
nearly  equal  portions. 

FIGURE  27. 
State  Coll.,  No.  236.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1720. 

Glycy'meris  arctica,  LA.M.  ;  An.  sans  Vert.,  vi.  70. 

Shell  thick  and  strong,  oblong,  somewhat  cylindrical,  inequi- 
lateral, the  posterior  portion  being  nearly  twice  the  length  of  the 


38     INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

anterior ;  somewhat  acutely  rounded  before,  obliquely  truncated 
and  widely  gaping  behind,  the  posterior  margin  thickened  within 
and  turning  outwards  ;  the  hinge  and  basal  margins  are  usually 
about  parallel,  but  in  old  shells  the  lower  and  posterior  angle  is 
considerably  prolonged,  so  as  to  render  this  portion  broadest ;  and 
it  is  the  only  point  at  which  the  valves  meet,  the  rest  of  the  base 
widely  gaping  ;  beaks  rather  prominent,  directed  slightly  forwards, 
and  from  them  extend  two  broad,  wave-like  ridges,  one  directed 
to  the  lower  posterior  angle,  the  other  dividing  the  portion  anterior 
to  this  into  two  nearly  equal  parts,  so  that  the  surface  is  thus  di- 
vided into  three  triangular,  concave  compartments  ;  surface  also 
ridged  at  the  stages  of  growth.  Directly  under  the  beak  in  each 
valve  is  a  single  small,  triangular  tooth  ;  these  shut  side  by  side  ; 
running  backwards  from  each  of  them,  along  the  margin,  is  a  thick, 
rounded,  crest-like  callus,  having  a  groove  at  its  external  base  in 
which  a  strong  ligament  is  fixed,  which  arches  over  these  crests. 
Muscular  impressions  deep  ;  palleal  impressions  looking  like  an 
irregular  series  of  muscular  pits  of  various  sizes  ;  interior  smooth 
and  shining,  corresponding  to  the  external  undulations  ;  exterior 
antiquated,  livid.  Length  2|  inches,  height  1|  inch,  breadth 
1TV  to  1T6¥  inch. 

Inhabits  the  Banks  of  Newfoundland,  whence  it  is  brought 
by  fishermen. 

I  believe  this  to  be  the  shell  which  Lamarck  intended  by  his  Glycym- 
eris  arctica,  and  which  Deshayes,  with  good  reason,  pronounces  to  be 
a  PANOP.E  A.  I  am  aware  that  the  P.  Aldrovdndi  varies  much  at  dif- 
ferent ages,  and  has  consequently  been  described  under  several  names. 
It  is  also  said  to  be  an  inhabitant  of  Newfoundland,  while  Lamarck 
gives  the  "  Arctic  Ocean,  the  White  Sea,"  as  the  habitat  of  P.  arc- 
tica. But  P.  Aldrovdndi  never  presents  upon  the  disc  the  two  ridges 
and  intervening  central  valley,  so  characteristic  of  our  shell ;  it  is  also 
nearly  equilateral,  broadest  before,  and  the  anterior  extremity  is  scarce- 
ly more  rounded  than  the  posterior,  and  even  at  the  immense  size,  to 
which  that  species  often  arrives,  it  is  scarcely  more  thickened  than  our 
small  shell,  which,  indeed,  bears  evidence  of  entire  maturity.  The 
"  costis  duabus  obtusis,"  and  the  remark,  that  "  externally  it  resembles 
Mya  truncata"  are  enough  to  identify  the  shell.  A  single  valve  would 
be  passed  over  as  the  toothless  valve  of  Mya  truncata. 


SOLENACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  GLYCYMERIS.  39 

It  is  an  interesting  shell  on  account  of  the  genus  being  found  plenti- 
fully on  both  continents  in  a  fossil  state,  while  recent  specimens  are 
so  rare. 

GENUS   GLYCYMERIS,  LAM. 

Shell  transverse,  inequilateral,  greatly  gaping  above  and  below ; 
hinge  margin  callous,  without  a  tooth ;  ligament  external,  epider- 
mis thick,  extending  beyond  the  margin  of  the  shell, 

GLYCY'MERIS  SILIQUA. 

Shell  transversely  oval;  epidermis  black,  dense,  and  shining,  ob- 
liquely  wrinkled ;  beaks  eroded ;  interior  loaded  with  thick  callus. 

State  Coll.,  No.  235.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1721. 

Mya  siliqua,  CHEMN.  ;  Conch.,  xi.  192,  pi.  198,  f.  1934.     DILLWTN  ;  Catal,  i.  49. 

Glycy'meris  incrassata,  LAM.  ;  Syst.  des  An.  sans  Vert.,  126. 

Glycy'meris  siliqua,  LAM.  ;  An.  sans  Vert.,  vi.  69.  BLAINV.  ;  Malacol.^l.  80,  f.  3. 
AUDOUIN  ;  Ann.  des  Sc.  JVetf.,  1833,  pi.  14,  15,  16,  (excellent.)  SOWERBY;  Gen- 
era, No.  8. 

Mya  picea,  WOOD  ;  Gen.  Conch.,  96,  pi.  22,  f.  5.    Index,  pi.  2,  f.  10. 

Shell  oval,  ponderous,  widely  gaping,  surface  undulated  at  the 
different  stages  of  growth  ;  covered  with  a  thick,  horny,  glossy- 
black  epidermis,  which  projects  a  considerable  distance  beyond 
the  limit  of  the  valves  ;  it  is  obliquely  wrinkled  at  various  parts, 
especially  at  the  posterior  end  ;  beaks  not  prominent,  always  more 
or  less  eroded ;  ligament  large  and  protuberant ;  interior  of  the 
shell  white,  loaded  with  a  very  thick  mass  of  calcareous  substance, 
giving  the  shell  great  weight,  its  margin  having  a  somewhat  fringed 
arrangement.  Length  1|  inch,  breadth  3|  inches. 

Its  proper  habitat  is  the  Banks  of  Newfoundland  ;  but  several 
fine  specimens  have  been  hooked  up  or  dredged  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  Provincetown,  within  Cape  Cod. 

It  is  a  very  interesting  shell,  the  only  one  of  the  genus  yet  known. 
Its  wide  gaping,  thick  interior  deposit,  toothless  hinge,  and  black  ex- 
terior, render  it  impossible  to  confound  it  with  any  other  shell.  The 
great  size  of  the  animal,  which  the  shell  can  never  enclose,  renders  it 
a  welcome  morsel  for  that  denizen  of  the  Banks,  the  cod-fish  ;  and, 


40  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

accordingly,  it  is  not  difficult  to  obtain  specimens  through  the  fishermen. 
In  young  shells  the  epidermis  is  smooth,  and  of  a  light  chestnut- 
color. 

FAMILY  MY  APIA. 

Shell  often  inequivalve,  inequilateral,  gaping  ;  hinge  with  an  erect,  more  or 
less  spoon-shaped  tooth  in  one  valve,  received  into  a  corresponding  excavation 
in  the  opposite  valve,  united  by  an  interposed  cartilage. 

GENUS  MYA,  LIN. 

Shell  transverse,  gaping  at  both  ends ;  left  valve  with  a  single 
broad,  compressed,  erect  tooth,  received  into  a  pit  in  the  opposite 
valve. 

MYA    ARENA* RI A. 

Shell  transversely  ovate,  chalky-white,  covered  with  a  thin, 
wrinkled  epidermis  ;  tooth  of  equal  length  and  breadth,  inclined 
a  little  backwards  and  inwards,  with  an  oblique  rib  on  the  back. 

State  Coll.,  No.  234.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1722. 

Mya  arenaria,  LIN.;  Syst.  Nat.,  1112.  PENNANT;  Brit.  ZooL,  iv.  79,  t.  42, 
f.  16.  CHEMN;  Conch.,  vi.  10,  t.  1,  f.  3,  4.  FABR.  ;  Fauna,  Granl,  405. 
OILLWYN;  Gated.,  i.  42.  DRUG.,  Encyc.  Meth.,  pi.  229,  f.  1  to  8.  BLAINV.; 
Malacol.p\.77,f.  1.  SOWERBY;  Genera,  No.  32.  MONTAGU;  Test.  Brit.,  30. 
WOOD  ;  Gen.  Conch.,  91,  t.  17,  f.  3.  Index,  pi.  2.  f.  2.  DESHAYES  ;  Encyc. 
Mdth.,  Few,  ii.  592,  pi.  229,  f.  1.  LAM.;  An.  sans  Vert.  (Desh.  ed.),  vi.  74. 
MATON  and  RACKETT;  Lin.  Trans.,  viii.  35.  TURTON  ;  Conch.  Diet.,  98.  Brit. 
Biv.,  32.  DONOVAN  ;  Brit.  Shells,  t.  85.  FLEMING  ;  Brit.  Aiwm.  4G3.  CON- 
RAD ;  Amer.  Mar.  Conch.,  42,  pi.  9,  f.  1. 

Mya  mercenaria,  SAY;  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.,  ii.  313. 

Mya  acuta,  SAY  ;  Ibid. 

Shell  ovate,  equivalve,  nearly  equilateral,  moderately  thick, 
gaping  at  both  ends,  especially  at  the  posterior,  which  cannot  be 
closed  on  account  of  an  outward  curvature  of  the  valves  ;  an- 
teriorly shortest  and  regularly  rounded  ;  posteriorly  narrowed  and 
rounded  ;  surface  wrinkled,  and  in  some  parts  raised  into  ridges 
at  the  lines  of  growth  ;  faint  radiating  lines  and  colors  depart 
from  the  beaks  ;  color  dingy-white,  covered  with  a  very  thin, 
dirty-brown  epidermis,  irregularly  wrinkled  ;  beaks  small,  pointed, 


MYARIA.  MOLLUSCA.  MYA.  41 

slightly  curved  forwards,  directly  under  which,  in  the  left  valve, 
rises  an  erect  tooth,  rounded  at  its  summit,  of  about  equal  breadth 
and  height  ;  its  inner  face  is  smooth  and  rounded  ;  its  outer  face 
is  divided  into  two  portions,  the  largest  of  which  is  spoon-shaped, 
the  other  flat  and  traversed  across  the  middle  by  a  grooved  ridge 
which  projects  beyond  the  margin  of  the  tooth  like  a  smaller  tooth  ; 
on  the  right  valve  we  have  a  deep  excavation  imbedded  in  the 
cavity  of  the  beak  ;  in  this  and  in  the  concave  portion  of  the 
tooth  is  fixed  the  very  strong  cartilage  ;  anterior  muscular  im- 
pression narrow  and  long,  club-shaped  ;  posterior  one  semi-oval ; 
palleal  impression  scolloped  along  the  base,  and  very  deeply 
notched  behind.  Common  length  3J  inches,  height  2  inches, 
breadth  1  inch.  I  have  a  specimen,  the  corresponding  dimen- 
sions of  which  are  5J,  3T4^,  2T\j-  inches. 

This  shell  (the  Clam)  is  familiar  to  every  one  who  resides  on  the 
sea-coast.  It  is  always  to  be  seen  in  every  market,  and  on  every  quiet 
shore.  Its  residence  is  always  between  high  and  low  tide,  or  in  such 
places  as  allow  it  to  be  partially  exposed  to  the  air  a  part  of  the  time. 
Such  are  our  sandy  beaches,  muddy  inlets,  and  mouths  of  streams 
emptying  into  the  sea,  &c.  It  usually  lies  just  below  the  surface, 
and  over  it  is  a  round  hole  through  which  the  animal  occasionally 
ejects  a  jet  of  water  to  a  considerable  height  above  the  sand ;  and,  if 
the  shallow  water  is  observed  where  they  are  known  to  dwell,  it  will 
be  perceived  to  be  kept  in  constant  eddies  by  the  suction  and  ejection 
of  the  water.  The  value  of  the  clam  as  an  article  of  food,  in  the 
fisheries,  and  for  manure,  will  be  spoken  of  elsewhere. 

There  seems  to  be  no  character  which  affords  any  ground  for  sep- 
arating our  shell  from  the  European  clam.  Mr.  Say,  as  he  merely  refers 
to  Pennant's  figure,  had  probably  never  seen  a  specimen  from  the  other 
shore  of  the  Atlantic.  A  comparison  would  certainly  have  saved  him 
from  the  error  of  describing  it  as  a  new  species.  Nor  can  I  believe 
there  is  any  occasion  to  make  two  species,  the  mercendria  and  acuta, 
as  he  has  done.  His  acuta  was  formed  from  a  specimen  in  which  the 
posterior  extremity  was  very  acute ;  but  in  this  part  we  find  great 
diversity  of  proportions  in  different  specimens. 

It  seems  not  to  be  a  common  shell  at  the  British  Islands,  and  to  be 
seldom  used  as  food  there. 

Its  surface  is  often  colored  by  the  earth  in  which  it  is  found.  Very 
often  it  has  a  rusty  color,  or  a  bluish  clay-color  ;  and  the  solidity  of 
6 


42     INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

the  shell  varies  according  to  its  exposure  to  the  chafing  of  the  sea. 
Some  specimens,  obtained  in  the  still,  sandy  harbour  of  Provincetown, 
are  very  white,  and  nearly  as  thin  as  paper. 

In  the  young  shell  the  valves  are  quite  unequal,  and  the  tooth  is 
produced  towards  the  longer  side,  so  as  to  be  somewhat  triangular.  I 
have  compared  shells  in  this  state,  a  third  of  an  inch  in  length,  with 
specimens  of  SPHENIA  Swainsbni,  TURT.,  and  can  find  no  differences 
in  the  hinge,  and  none  in  the  shell,  unless  that  perhaps  the  latter  may 
be  a  little  thinner,  and  proportionally  longer  than  the  former. 

MYA  TRUNCA'TA. 

Shell  oblong-oval,  inequilateral,  rounded  anteriorly,  truncated 
posteriorly ;  widely  gaping  ;  tooth  broader  than  long. 

State  Coll.,  No.  233.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2319. 

Mya  truncata,  LIN.  ;  Syst.  Nat.,  1112.  Gmel.  No.  1.  FABR.;  Fauna  Grant.,  404. 
PENNANT;  Brit.  Zool,  iv.  pi.  41,  f.  14.  CHEMN.  Conch.,  vi.  8,  tab.  l,f.  1,  2. 
MONTAGU;  Test.  Brit.,  32.  MATON  and  RACKETT;  Lin.  Trans.,  viii.35.  WOOD; 
Gen.  Conch.,  90,  t.  17,  f.  1,2.  Index,  pi.  2,  f.  1.  DILLWYN  ;  CataL,  i.  42.  DES- 
HAYES  ;  Encijc.  M&th.,  Vers,  ii.  591,  pi.  229,  f.  2  to  6.  DONOVAN  ;  Brit.  Shells, 
pi.  92.  LAM.,  Jin.  sans  Vert.  vi.  73.  TURTON  ;  Conch.  Diet.,  97.  Brit.  Biv.,  31. 
LISTER  ;  Conch.,  t.  428,  f.  269.  GUALT.  ;  Test.,  t.  91,  f.  D.  BROOKE  ;  Jntrod., 
pi.  1,  f.  10. 

Shell  oblong,  inequilateral,  longest  and  rounded  before,  nar- 
rower and  abruptly  cut  off,  generally  obliquely,  behind  ;  the  valves 
are  strong,  deeply  concave  and  often  unequal,  but  sometimes  the 
right  valve,  and  sometimes  the  left,  is  most  prolonged  ;  surface 
irregularly  ridged  along  the  lines  of  growth  ;  color  dingy  white, 
covered  with  a  thick,  tough,  yellowish,  wrinkled  epidermis, 
which  folds  over  the  edges  of  the  shell,  and  is  greatly  prolonged 
posteriorly,  forming  a  tube  six  or  eight  inches  long,  supplying  in 
some  measure  tbe  apparent  loss  of  protection  to  the  animal  by  the 
truncation  of  the  shell.  The  truncated  edges  are  a  little  flaring, 
and  the  shell  is  left  wide  open  behind  ;  beaks  moderately  promi- 
nent, turning  slightly  forwards  ;  teeth  broader  than  long,  projecting 
a  little  inwards  ;  inner  face  smooth,  and  nearly  flat ;  outer  face 
similar  to  that  of  M.  arenaria,  but  the  oblique  rib  merely  forms  a 
thickened  lobe  at  tbe  edge,  and  does  not  project  into  a  tooth-like 
process  ;  on  the  opposite  valve  is  an  excavation  in  the  beak  for 


MYARIA.  MOLLUSCA.  CORBULA.         43 

the  reception  of  the  tooth,  and  insertion  of  the  ligament.     Length 
2£  inches,  height  1T7T  inch,  breadth  li  inch. 

Single  valves  of  this  shell  are  thrown  upon  our  beaches  by  violent 
gales ;  but  I  have  never  heard  of  any  living  specimen  being  taken 
directly  on  our  coast.  At  St.  George's  and  Grand  Banks,  however,  it 
is  abundant,  and  is  a  favorite  food  of  the  cod-fish,  from  whose  stomachs 
it  is  taken  plentifully  by  our  fishermen.  On  the  English  coast  it  is 
spoken  of  as  more  plentiful  than  M.  arenaria,  found  at  the  mouths  of 
rivers.  It  is  not  mentioned  as  an  article  of  food. 

It  is  very  easily  recognised  by  the  peculiar  manner  in  which  the 
posterior  end  seems  to  be  chopped  off;  sometimes  directly  across,  and 
sometimes  obliquely  ;  sometimes  leaving  the  posterior  portion  of  about 
the  same  length  as  the  anterior,  and  at  other  times  not  half  so  long.  Its 
membranous  tube,  when  not  broken  off  by  the  removal  of  the  animal, 
as  it  usually  is,  is  quite  a  curiosity.  There  is  one  shell  which  at  first 
sight  resembles  it,  the  Panopda  drctica ;  but  it  is  gaping  at  both 
ends,  and  has  no  tooth. 

GENUS  CORBULA,  LAM. 

Shell  inequivalve,  inequilateral;  hinge  with  a  small,  upright, 
conical  tooth  in  each  valve,  one  received  into  a  pit  by  the  side  of  the 
other ;  cartilage  between  the  teeth. 

CO'RBULA  CONTRA'CTA. 

Shell  small,  white,  valves  sub-equal,  covered  with  numerous  con- 
centric, elevated  lines;  rounded  before,  somewhat  acute  behind; 
basal  margin  contracted  at  the  middle. 

FIGURE  37. 

State  Coll.,  No.  218.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1742. 

Corbula  contracta,  SAY  ;  Journ.  Aca&.  Nat.  Sc.}  ii.  312. 

Shell  small,  ovate-globose,  white,  nearly  equilateral,  shortest 
and  rounded  before,  narrowed  and  somewhat  pointed  behind, 
basal  margin  contracted  and  arched  near  the  middle  ;  surface 
beautifully  plaited  with  regular,  smooth,  rounded,  concentric 
ridges  ;  beaks  rather  prominent,  inclined  forwards ;  a  distinct 
angular  ridge  running  from  them  to  the  posterior  extremity  de- 
fines a  broad  rhomboidal  space  ;  left  valve  nearly  as  large  and 


44  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

convex  as  the  right,  though  still  shutting  considerably  within  it. 
Hinge  tooth  slender,  erect ;  within  smooth  ;  impressions  very 
faint.  Length  f  inch,  height  J  inch,  breadth  i  inch. 

Found  at  Martha's  Vineyard,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  New 
Bedford,  &c.  It  is  abundant  about  Rhode  Island,  and  is  also  an 
inhabitant  of  the  coasts  of  Georgia  and  East  Florida. 

This  species  is  remarkable  for  the  equality  of  its  valves  ;  but  still 
they  are  unequal  enough  to  attract  notice  at  once.  The  regular  and 
beautifully  rounded  ribs  are  also  quite  characteristic.  It  bears  a  close 
resemblance  to  Cumingia  tellinoides  in  its  exterior. 

GENUS  PANDORA,  BRUG. 

Shell  inequivalve,  inequilateral,  pearly  within ;  right  valve  flat, 
left  valve  convex ;  hinge  with  two  diverging  teeth  in  the  flat  valve 
and  corresponding  grooves  in  the  opposite  one. 

PANDO'RA  TRILINEATA. 

Shell  oblong-ovate,  rounded  before,  and  with  a  recurved  beak 
behind.  Along  the  posterior  hinge  margin  of  both  valves  run  two 
rough,  elevated,  radiating  lines. 

State  Coll.,  No.  217.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1745. 

Pandora  trilineata,  SAY  ;  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.,  ii.  261.    Amer.   Conch.,  pi.  2. 
CONRAD;  Amer.  Mar.  Conch.,  49,  pi.  11,  f.  1.     LAM.  ;  An.  sans  Vert.,  vi.  147. 
Pandora  nasuta,  SOWERBY;  Species  Conch.,  f.  18, 19. 

Shell  pearly-white,  ovate,  inequilateral,  the  anterior  side  broad 
and  regularly  rounded,  about  half  the  length  of  the  posterior  side, 
which  has  the  hinge  margin  flattened,  straight,  or  somewhat  con- 
cave, the  edge  of  the  flat  valve  shutting  over  the  edge  of  the  con- 
vex valve,  and  terminating  in  a  recurved  or  ascending  tip,  its 
points  coarsely  wrinkled,  irregular,  and  slightly  gaping  ;  the  ante- 
rior portion  of  the  basal  margin  has  a  depending  or  pouch-like 
appearance  ;  the  upper  edge  is  margined  by  two  wrinkled,  round- 
ed lines  radiating  from  the  beaks,  most  obvious  on  the  convex 
valve  ;  surface  wrinkled  with  undulating  lines  of  growth,  and  with 
very  faint  radiating  lines  ;  sometimes  there  is  a  slightly  impressed 
line  passing  from  the  beak  to  the  middle  of  the  base.  Hinge  in 


OSTEODESMACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  OSTEODESMA.         45 

the  left  or  convex  valve  with  three  diverging  teeth,  the  anterior 
one  much  the  longest  and  strongest,  the  middle  one  very  delicate, 
the  third  is  rather  a  thickening  of  the  posterior  margin,  with  a 
ledge  in  it  for  the  reception  of  a  tooth  in  the  opposite  valve. 
Right  or  flat  valve  with  two  teeth,  one  short,  triangular,  strong, 
directed  across  the  shell,  the  other  long,  inclined  to  the  posterior 
hinge  margin.  Within  iridescent ;  muscular  impressions  rounded, 
connected  by  a  series  of  about  a  dozen  rough  spots  for  the  adhe- 
sion of  the  mantle.  Length  1T3^  inch,  height  T77  inch,  breadth 
1  inch,  nearly. 

Found  about  the  sandy  regions  of  Cape  Cod,  and  not  unfre- 
quently  discovered  adhering  to  oysters  in  the  market.  Dr.  J.  W. 
Mighels  of  Portland,  Maine,  has  taken  it  by  dredging  in  Casco 
Bay.  Mr.  Say  found  it  as  far  south  as  Florida. 

This  is  a  very  curious  shell,  easily  recognised  by  its  pearly  sub- 
stance, its  flat  valve,  and  its  upward  curved  tip.  From  all  other  spe- 
cies yet  described  it  is  distinguished  by  the  two  lines  bordering  its 
posterior  hinge  margin.  Mr.  Say  has  figured  a  small  young  speci- 
men ;  the  rostrated  tip  is  represented  as  too  slender,  as  is  also  the 
whole  shell,  and  the  pouch-like  appearance  of  the  posterior  base  is 
not  sufficiently  indicated  for  adult  shells.  There  is  often  a  good  deal 
of  contortion  and  irregularity  in  the  shape  of  the  shell. 

FAMILY   OSTEODESMACEA. 

Shell  transverse,  inequilateral,  inequivalve,  fragile,  somewhat  pearly,  slightly 
gaping  at  one  end ;  hinge  with  a  thickening,  or  spoon-shaped  process,  to  which 
the  ligament  is  attached,  usually  supported  within  by  an  ossiculum. 

There  seems  a  propriety  in  separating  from  the  family  Myaria 
some  of  the  genera  formerly  included  under  it.  The  delicate 
and  pearly  fabric  of  the  shell,  and  the  presence  of  the  little  ir- 
regularly shaped  bone  resting  against  the  hinge  within,  are  well- 
marked  characters.  These  shells  attain  to  a  considerable  size, 
and  live  in  the  sand  about  low-water  mark. 

GENUS  OSTEODESMA,  DESK. 

Shell  inequivalve,  subtriangular,  fragile,  pearly ;  hinge  having 
a  narrow  ledge  within  each  valve,  to  which  the  ligament  is  attached, 
and  against  which  adheres  a  four-sided  ossiculum. 


46  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS.  - 

In  the  course  of  the  reformations  recently  made  in  the  in- 
definite genus  ANATINA  of  Lamarck,  this  natural  group  of  shells 
has  received  several  generic  appellations.  A  genus  was  instituted 
by  Leach,  to  receive  the  old  MYA  Norvegica,  which  he  called 
MAGDALA  ;  and,  still  later,  Scacchi  has  named  it  PANDORINA. 
Perhaps  I  may  be  censured  for  breaking,  in  this  instance,  the 
salutary  rule,  that  the  oldest  published  name  should  take  prece- 
dence of  all  others.  The  genus  LYONSIA  of  Turton  certainly 
preceded  that  of  OSTEODESMA,  and  so,  I  think,  did  MAGDALA. 
But  the  name  OSTEODESMA  is  so  well  chosen,  and  is  so  well 
made  known  in  the  recent  edition  of  Lamarck's  work,  being, 
moreover,  the  type  of  the  natural  family  Osteodesmacea,  that  I 
cannot  refrain  from  giving  it  the  preference. 

OSTEODESMA  HYALI'NA. 

Shell  sub-ovate,  fragile,  pearly,  translucent,  inequilateral ;  elon- 
gated, compressed  and  truncated  posteriorly ;  covered  with  radiating 
wrinkles ;  ossiculum  a  truncated  wedge. 

FIGURE  10. 
State  Coll.,  No.  220.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  250. 

Mya  hyalina,  CONRAD  ;  Journ.  Acati.  Nat.  Sc.,  vi.  261,  pi.  1 1,  f.  12. 
Lyonsia  hyalina,  CONRAD  ;  JJmer.  Mar.  Conch.,  51,  pi.  11,  f.  2. 
Osteodesraa  hyalina,  COUTHOUY  ;  Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  ii.  166. 

Shell  elongated,  subovate,  thin,  fragile,  pearly,  translucent,  in- 
equilateral, the  posterior  side  much  the  longest,  narrowed,  closely 
compressed  at  the  end,  but  slightly  truncated,  so  as  to  gape  a 
little  ;  posterior  superior  margin  a  straight  line,  and  compressed  ; 
the  remaining  outline  regularly  rounded  ;  beaks  prominent,  inclin- 
ing forwards  ;  region  of  the  beaks  tumid  and  smooth  ;  a  broad 
marginal  portion  is  covered  with  a  thin  membranous  epidermis 
projecting  beyond  the  edge,  and  wrought  into  regular  wrinkles, 
radiating  from  the  beaks  ;  these  wrinkles  are  minutely  fringed  so 
as  to  entangle  grains  of  sand,  by  which  the  surface  is  sometimes 
entirely  coated.  The  hinge  consists  of  a  delicate  ledge,  running 
from  the  beak  obliquely  downward  and  backward,  serving  for  the 
attachment  of  a  ligament,  which  is  also  attached  to  the  edge  of 
the  wedge-shaped  ossiculum  lying  against  that  part.  Muscular  and 


OSTEODESMACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  ANATINA.  47 

palleal  marks  indicated  only  by  a  more  pearly  appearance  ; 
they  are  far  within  the  shell,  and  the  latter  has  no  well-marked 
sinus.  Length  T7^  inch,  height  T\  inch,  breadth  T\  inch. 

It  is  found  thrown  upon  the  sandy  shores  of  Cape  Cod,  Chelsea, 
Lynn,  and  other  similar  localities.  Its  fragile  structure  is  such  as  to 
indicate  that  it  could  not  live  elsewhere  than  in  quhet  sand.  In  April, 
1836,  the  beach  at  Chelsea  was  strewed  with  multitudes  of  very  large 
and  mature  ones.  Since  then  I  have  found  only  an  occasional 
specimen. 

The  ossiculum  is  almost  always  detached  and  lost.  Sometimes, 
when  the  valves  are  separated,  it  adheres  to  one  of  them,  and  then  it 
looks  like  the  tooth  of  a  MYA.  When  destitute  of  the  ossiculum,  if 
reliance  were  placed  upon  the  hinge  alone,  the  shell  would  probably 
be  called  an  AMPHIDESMA,  or  some  undescribed  genus.  There  is  no 
other  shell  on  our  coast,  however,  which  presents  the  radiated  wrinkles 
of  the  epidermis,  together  with  the  pearly  lustre,  of  this  shell. 

The  genus  OSTEODESMA  now  embraces  but  three  or  four  species. 
One  of  these,  the  O.  Norvegica  of  northern  European  seas,  is  very 
similar  to  ours.  But  it  is  distinct.  It  grows  to  a  much  larger  size,  is 
more  inequilateral,  more  broadly  truncate ;  the  base  is  less  regularly 
curved,  and  is  covered  by  a  much  stronger  and  more  opaque  epi- 
dermis. 

Young  specimens  are  very  thin,  and  have  a  horn-colored  exterior, 
and  numerous  thin,  concentric  ridges  at  the  different  stages  of  growth. 

If  the  valves  are  unequal,  according  to  the  definition  of  the  genus, 
the  difference  must  be  very  slight. 

GENUS  ANAT!NA. 

Shell  sub-equivalve,  gaping  slightly  ;  hinge  with  a  prostrate, 
spoon-shaped  tooth  in  each  valve  to  receive  the  cartilage,  and  a 
small  ossiculum  resting  in  front  of  the  teeth,  usually  removed  with 
the  animal. 

ANATINA  PAPYRACEA. 

Shell  thin,  fragile,  white,  rounded-ovate,  inequilateral,  the 
shorter  side  narrowed  and  truncated ;  tooth  narrow,  directed  ob- 
liquely forwards. 


43   INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

FIGURE  28. 
State  Coll.,  No.  231.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2322. 

Anatina  papyratia,  SAY  ;  Journ.  AcaA.  J\Tat.  Sc.,  ii.  314. 
Anatina  papyratia?  TOTTEN  ;  Siilimari's  Journ.,  xxviii.  347,  f.  1. 

Shell  small,  broadly  rounded-ovate,  fragile  and  thin,  white  and 
pearly  ;  the  right  valve  most  convex  ;  inequilateral,  the  posterior 
or  shorter  side  narrowed,  and  at  the  tip  clipped,  and  moderately 
gaping  ;  margin,  from  the  beak  backward,  a-straight  line  ;  the  rest 
of  the  outline  regularly  curved  ;  beaks  placed  about  one  third  of  the 
length  of  the  shell  from  the  posterior  extremity,  moderately  prom- 
inent, inclining  forwards,  and  cleft  across  the  middle  ;  from  the 
beaks  to  the  lower  posterior  angle  runs  an  elevated,  angular  ridge  ; 
surface  finely  marked  by  the  lines  of  growth,  vestiges  of  a  yellow- 
ish-white epidermis  ;  interior  pearly  ;  tooth  long  and  narrow, 
slightly  concave,  directed  obliquely  across  the  shell,  supported 
beneath  by  a  short,  sharp,  elevated  rib  ;  muscular  and  palleal  im- 
pressions very  superficial.  Ossiculum  somewhat  like  two  cres- 
cents joined  at  the  extremities,  fitting  in  front  of  the  teeth. 
Length  -i-|  inch,  height  J  inch,  breadth  J  inch. 

Found  in  the  stomachs  of  fishes  caught  off  Nahant  ;  and  taken 
by  dredging  in  Newport  harbour  by  Colonel  Totten. 

This  is  undoubtedly  the  shell  described  at  length  by  Colonel  Totten, 
and  for  which  he  proposes  the  specific  name  frdgilis,  provided  it  be 
not  the  A.  papyratia  of  Say.  Mr.  Say's  dimensions  differ  a  little  in 
their  proportions  from  the  New  England  shell;  but  our  shells  have 
sufficient  latitude  of  dimensions  to  render  this  variation  of  little  im- 
portance. 

The  only  shell  we  have  that  resembles  it,  is  the  Sanguinoldria  fusca ; 
but  that  shell  has  less  breadth,  is  equilateral,  and  rounded  through- 
out, besides  the  great  difference  of  the  hinge. 

GENUS  COCHLODESMA,  COUTHOUF. 

Shell  inequivalve,  inequilateral,  slightly  gaping  at  both  ends ; 
beaks  small,  cloven  ;  hinge  a  spoon-shaped  process  in  each  valve, 
supported  by  an  oblique  rib,  and  receiving  the  cartilage. 


OSTEODESMACEA.  MOLLUSCA.        COCHLODESMA.  49 

COCHLODESMA    LEA'NA. 

Shell  thin,  white,  sub-oval,  the  shorter  side  of  the  right  or 
more  convex  valve  truncated ;  rib-like  support  directed  backwards. 

FIGURES  29,  30. 
State  Coll.,  No.  230.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1726. 

Anatina  Leana,  CONRAD  ;  Journ.  dead.  Nat.  Sc.,  vi.  263,  pi.  11,  f.  11. 
Cochlodesma  Leana,  COUTHOUY  ;  Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.}  ii.  170. 

Shell  sub-oval,  thin  and  brittle,  white,  with  a  thin,  yellowish 
epidermis  ;  the  right  valve  convex,  and  truncated  at  the  shorter 
end  ;  the  left  valve  nearly  flat,  and  rounded  at  both  ends  ;  posterior 
end  gaping,  a  little  the  shortest,  and  usually  a  little  the  narrowest ; 
beaks  very  small,  scarcely  prominent,  cleft  at  one  side  ;  a  faint, 
wave-like  ridge  passes  from  them  to  the  lower  posterior  angle  ; 
surface  slightly  wrinkled  by  the  lines  of  growth,  somewhat  pearly 
beneath  ;  interior  chalky-white,  the  muscular  and  palleal  impres- 
sions superficial,  pearly.  The  spoon-shaped  hinge  process  nearly 
horizontal,  directed  across  the  shell,  and  resting  on  a  rib-like  sup- 
port, directed  to  the  posterior  muscular  impression,  immediately 
in  front  of  which  is  another  thread-like  branch  in  the  direction  of 
the  cleft  in  the  beak.  Ossiculum  none.  Length  If  inch, 
height  1  inch  nearly,  breadth  ^  inch. 

Found  about  Cape  Cod  in  almost  every  direction,  inhabiting 
sandy  beaches  ;  also  about  Nantucket.  I  have  never  heard  of  it 
on  the  north  shore  of  Massachusetts  Bay,  but  it  is  more  abun- 
dant to  the  south  of  us. 

The  animal  has  the  mantle  closed  in  front,  except  an  opening  for  a 
broad,  compressed  foot,  extending  the  whole  length  of  the  small  ab- 
dominal mass  ;  edges  of  the  mantle  a  little  thickened  and  wrinkled  ; 
siphons  long,  slender,  separate  in  their  whole  extent. 

This  genus,  proposed  by  Mr.  Couthouy,  has,  I  observe,  been  ad- 
mitted by  J.  E.  Gray,  in  the  "  Annals  of  Science,"  and  I  have  there- 
fore adopted  it  without  hesitation. 

This  species  very  closely  resembles  My  a  (Cochlodesma)  pratenuis 
of  Pennant  (Ligula  prcetenuis,  Montagu),  but  differs  in  being  more 
rounded,  less  convex,  less  narrowed  behind,  and  has  no  signs  of  a 
granulated  or  shagreened  epidermis,  like  that  shell. 

7 


50     INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

GENUS  THRACIA. 

Shell  inequivalve,  slightly  gaping  at  both  sides;  beaks  con- 
spicuous, one  of  them  perforated ;  hinge  with  prominently  thick- 
ened margins,  to  which  an  external  ligament  is  attached. 

THRACIA  GONRA'PI. 

Shell  tumid,  thin,  inequilateral,  rounded-ovate,  with  the  smaller 
extremity  truncated,  exterior  pale  ashy-white,  beneath  which  it  is 
pearly. 

State  Coll.,  No.  219.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2318. 

Thracia  declivis,  CONRAD  ;  Amer.  Mar.  Conch.,  44,  pi.  9,  f.  2. 

Thracia  Conradi,  COUTHOUY  ;  Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  ii.  153,  pi.  4,  f.  2. 

Shell  ovate,  orbicular,  rounded  before,  narrowed  and  trun- 
cated behind,  thin,  light  and  fragile,  of  a  dingy  white  color  ;  beaks 
nearly  central,  protuberant,  turned  a  little  backwards,  that  of  the 
right  valve  perforated  to  receive  the  point  of  the  other  ;  the 
flattened  area  about  the  ligament  is  large  and  lance-shaped,  bound- 
ed by  a  distinct  ridge  ;  surface  coarsely  wrinkled  by  the  lines  of 
growth,  undulated  by  a  ridge  extending  from  the  beak  to  the  lower 
posterior  angle,  and  by  another  broader  eminence  running  from 
the  beak  to  the  middle  of  the  base,  causing  an  outward  curve  to, 
the  margin  at  that  part ;  the  right  valve  is  considerably  larger  than 
the  left,  projecting  beyond  it,  and  much  more  convex.  Liga- 
ment large,  protuberant,  and  rounded,  attached  within  to  strong, 
thick,  rounded  eminences,. which  run  backwards  from  the  beaks 
along  the  edge.  Interior  of  a  chalky  white  color  ;  palleal  im- 
pression broad,  with  a  very  deep,  acute-angular  sinus.  A  thin, 
brownish  epidermis  is  found  on  some  portions  of  the  shell. 
There  is  no  ossiculum.  Length  3  inches,  height  2J  inches, 
breadth  1|  inch. 

Found  perfect,  and  containing  the  living  animal,  on  Chelsea 
Beach,  after  violent  easterly  storms,  a_nd  probably  lives  in  the  sand 
not  far  from  low-water  mark.  Single  valves  have  been  found 
abundantly  on  Rhode  Island,  and  also  on  the  coast  of  Maine,  and 
in  Buzzard's  Bay,  so  that  it  probably  inhabits  the  whole  New 
England  coast. 

This  is  a  large  and  interesting  shell,  easily  distinguished  from  most 


MACTRACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  MACTRA.  51 

of  our  shells  by  its  toothless  hinge  ;  and,  when  the  valves  happen  to  be 
found  united,  the  disparity  in  their  size  and  convexity  is  at  once  per- 
ceived. When  the  external  coating  is  removed,  we  come  to  a  silvery 
substance  like  mother-of-pearl.  I  have  a  specimen,  the  dimensions  of 
which  are,  length  4  inches,  height  3^  inches,  breadth  27V  inches. 
Dr.  Prescott  of  Lynn  has  one  nearly  as  large. 

I  have  carefully  dissected  the  animal,  and  find  it  to  correspond  in  all 
essential  particulars  with  the  anatomy  as  laid  down  in  Kiener. 

Like  many  others  of  our  shells,  this  has  had  the  misfortune  to  have 
several  names  applied  to  it  which  it  cannot  claim.  It  is  beautifully 
and  accurately  figured  by  Mr.  Conrad,  but  his  synonymy  is  entirely 
erroneous.  In  the  "Catalogue  of  Animals  and  Plants  of  Massachu- 
setts, 1834,"  it  is  referred  to  under  the  name  of  Anatlna  convexa.  In 
Dr.  Store r's  Translation  of  Kiener's  "  Iconography,"  &c.,  it  is  alluded 
to  under  the  supposition  that  it  is  T.  corluloides,  to  which  species  it 
is,  indeed,  closely  allied.  But  it  is  more  equilateral,  more  rounded, 
proportionally  narrower  behind,  and  its  surface  has  not  the  shagreen 
roughness  of  that  shell. 

Mr.  Couthouy  has  fully  pointed  out  its  distinctive  characters,  and  es- 
tablished it  as  a  species  ;  and  for  more  minute  particulars  his  article  in 
the  "  Boston  Journal "  may  be  referred  to. 

FAMILY  MACTRACEA,  LAM. 

Shell  equivalve,  usually  somewhat  gaping  at  sides  ;  hinge  with  an  internal 
cartilage,  and  sometimes  an  external  ligament  also. 

GENUS  MACTRA,   DESK. 

Shell  transverse,  slightly -gaping  at  sides;  beaks  prominent; 
hinge  a  prostrate,  concave  tooth  to  contain  the  cartilage,  having  at 
one  margin  a  delicate,  erect  tooth  like  the  letter  V ;  two  lateral 
teeth  near  the  central  ones. 

MACTRA   SOLIDISSIMA. 

Shell  large,  massive,  strong,  oval,  covered  with  a  dirty-brown 
'epidermis,  sub-equilateral;  hinge  strong,  V  tooth  delicate  ;  palleal 
impressions  slightly  indented  posteriorly. 

State  Coll.,  No.  228.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1729. 

Mactra  solidissima ;  CHEMN.  ;  Conch.,  x.  1. 170,  f.  1656.     DILLWYN  ;  CataL,  i.  140. 
WOOD;  Index,  pi.  6,  f.  22.     CONRAD  ;  Amer.  Mar.  Conch.,  64,  pi.  14,  f.  7. 


52      INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

Mactra  gigantea,  LAM.  ;  Jin.  sans  Vert.,  vi.  97.    DESHAYES  ;  Encyc.  M&ih.^  Vcrs, 

ii.  394,  pi.  259,  f.  1. 
Mactra  luteola,  LOVJEN  j  Mss.  (young.) 

Shell  very  large  and  solid,  transversely  ovate,  somewhat  trian- 
gular, nearly  equilateral,  anteriorly  a  little  the  shortest,  and  with  a 
fissure  between  the  beaks  ;  surface  slightly  folded  at  the  lines  of 
growth,  covered  with  a  thin,  dirty-brown  or  straw-colored  epider- 
mis, which  is  usually  worn  from  the  disc  ;  beaks  large  and  pro- 
tuberant, inclined  a  little  forwards  ;  behind  them  is  a  broad, 
lanceolate  space,  bounded  by  sharp  ridges  passing  from  the  beaks 
to  the  upper  part  of  the  basal  angle,  in  which  the  epidermis  is 
foliaceous,  or  very  loosely  wrinkled  ;  a  much  more  faintly  de- 
veloped areola  may  also  be  observed  before  the  beaks.  Hinge 
very  strong,  spoon-shaped  cavity  very  large  and  broad,  the  V 
tooth  very  delicate,  and  adhering  by  a  very  small  base,  so  that  it 
is  usually  broken  off  in  the  cartilage  ;  lateral  teeth  long  and  thin, 
striated  on  their  receiving  surfaces.  Muscular  and  palleal  im- 
pressions very  decided,  the  posterior  sinus  of  the  latter  quite 
shallow.  Length  4|  inches,  height  3  inches,  breadth  If  inch. 

It  is  found  about  sandy  beaches  on  all  our  coast,  and  its  in- 
habitant is  much  esteemed  by  some,  as  an  article  of  food.  At 
low  water  it  is  dug  out  of  the  sand  with  shovels.  At  higher  tides, 
when  the  shell  is  open,  the  fishermen  wade  into  the  water, 
thrusting  a  pointed  stick  into  the  sand  before  them,  as  they  walk 
along.  If  the  stick  happens  to  pass  between  the  valves,  they  are 
closed  upon  it  by  the  animal,  and  the  shell  is  thus  drawn  up. 

This  is  sufficiently  characterized  at  maturity  by  its  great  magnitude, 
which  entitles  it  to  the  name  of  giant  dam.  No  other  species  of  the 
genus  approaches  it  in  size  except  the  next,  from  which  it  may  be  dis- 
tinguished at  all  stages  by  its  striated  lateral  teeth.  The  largest 
specimen  I  have  seen  measures  6£  inches  in  length,  4  in  height,  and 
2^-  in  breadth.  It  preserves  its  general  features  through  all  ages,  ex- 
cept that,  when  young,  it  is  more  nearly  equilateral,  and,  after  it  has 
attained  its  full  dimensions,  it  acquires  great  weight  and  thickness. 
Some  specimens  obtained  in  Provincetown  harbour,  where  there  are 
no  rocks  and  little  surf,  are  very  light,  thin,  and  white. 

A  specimen  from  the  cabinet  of  Colonel  Totten,  which  he  found  at 
Newport,  I  presume  to  be  the  M.  similis  of  Say.  Whether  it  be  sim- 


MACTRACEA.  MOLLUSC  A.  MACTRA.  53 

ply  a  variety  of  M.  solidissima  or  not,  I  will  not  presume  to  decide  from 
this  one  specimen;  and,  as  it  is  not  strictly  a  Massachusetts  shell,  I 
shall  merely  notice  it  in  this  way.  The  shell  has  certainly  quite  a 
different  aspect.  It  is  triangular,  the  beaks  are  more  elevated,  the 
marginal  outlines  are  straight,  and  the  comparative  dimensions  vary 
as  follows : 

M.  solidissima^  length  If  inch,  height  1^  inch,  breadth  f  inch, 
M.  similis,  length  If  inch,  height  !•$>  inch,  breadth  f  inch. 

I  have  received  a  shell,  about  three  fourths  of  an  inch  long,  from 
Dr.  Loven  of  Stockholm,  which  he  calls  M.  luteola.  I  cannot  per- 
ceive that  it  differs  from  the  young  of  this  shell,  of  a  corresponding 
size. 

MACTRA  OVA'LIS. 

Shell  large,  thick,  obovate,  coarse,  nearly  equilateral,  covered 
with  a  tough,  dusky-brown  epidermis  ;  V  tooth  strong ;  lateral  teeth 
not  striated;  sinus  of  palleal  impression  deep. 

FIGURE  32. 

State  Coll.,  No.  229.     Soc.  Cab.,  2324. 

Mactra  similis,  GRAY;  Append,  to  Beechey's  Voyage,  pi.  44,  f.  8. 
Mactra  grandis,  DESHAYES  ;  Encyc.  M6th.,  Vers,  ii.  395,  not  M.  grandis  of  CHEM- 
NITZ and  others. 

Shell  large,  thick,  and  coarse,  somewhat  compressed,  sub-oval, 
a  little  shortest  anterior  to  the  beaks,  and,  the  anterior  slope  of  the 
hinge  margin  being  slightly  concave,  it  is  there  somewhat  narrow- 
ed ;  posterior  slope  convex,  extremity  slightly  gaping,  base  regu- 
larly curved  ;  beaks  but  little  elevated  ;  before,  there  is  a  short, 
faintly  defined  areola  ;  behind  them  is  another  portion  bounded  by 
an  elevated  line  extending  from  the  beaks  to  near  the  lower  angle, 
and  here  the  epidermis  is  very  coarsely  and  loosely  wrinkled  ; 
the  surface  has  a  rugged  appearance  from  the  coarse  lines  of 
growth,  and  is  rendered  still  more  so  by  the  folds  of  the  thick, 
strong,  dusky-brown  epidermis  in  the  same  direction.  Interior 
bluish-white  ;  hinge  supports  strong  and  smoothly  rounded  ;  V 
tooth  strong  and  firm,  having  the  anterior  side  in  the  right  valve 
much  more  elevated  than  the  posterior  ;  lateral  teeth  short  and 
slender,  not  striated  ;  muscular  and  palleal  impressions  rather 
superficial  ;  sinus  of  the  latter  deep.  Length  3J  inches,  height 
2J-  inches,  breadth  \\  inch. 


54     INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

Found  at  the  Bank  fisheries,  in  the  stomachs  of  fish.  The 
young,  from  a  fourth  of  an  inch  to  an  inch  in  length,  are  found 
abundantly  in  fish  caught  in  Boston  harbour.  At  least,  they  differ 
from  the  young  of  M.  solidissima,  and  correspond  in  external 
proportions  and  appearance  to  our  shell,  and  the  teeth  are  slender 
and  without  striae. 

This  shell  is  inferior  in  size  to  the  M.  solidissima  only.  The 
largest  valve  I  have  seen  measures  4-i-  by  2f  inches.  In  general  it  is 
found  smaller  than  the  dimensions  given.  Such  specimens  have  a 
straw-colored  epidermis. 

Its  size,  shape,  and  surface  distinguish  it  from  M.  grandis,  CHEMN. 
M.  solida,  and  all  other  known  species  except  M.  solidissima.  Com- 
pared with  that  more  common  shell,  it  differs  in  its  coarser  surface,  its 
thick,  dusky  epidermis,  its  less  elevated  beaks  and  less  convex  valves, 
the  longer  and  narrower  anterior  portions,  the  rough,  oval  portion  be- 
hind the  beaks  embracing  more  of  the  shell,  the  more  feeble  hinge, 
the  stout  and  firm  V  tooth,  and  the  deep  sinus  of  the  palleal  im- 
pression. 

I  have  very  little  doubt  that  this  is  the  shell  described  by  Deshayes 
as  M.  grandis.  The  descriptions  correspond  well.  But,  as  it  is  not 
figured  or  quoted  by  other  authors,  and  the  habitat  was  not  known  to 
him,  it  is  impossible  to  decide  with  certainty.  Singularly  enough  too, 
Deshayes  himself  does  not  cite  it  in  his  new  edition  of  Lamarck. 
Provided  it  be  the  same,  however,  the  specific  name  must  necessarily 
be  changed,  as  his  name  was  previously  given  to  a  different  species  by 
Chemnitz. 

This  appears  to  be  the  same  species,  a  small  specimen  of  which  is 
figured  by  Mr.  Gray  in  the  Appendix  to  Beechey's  Voyage,  under  the 
name  of  M.  similis.  This  name  is  pre-occupied  by  Mr.  Say. 

MACTRA  LATERA'LIS. 

Shell  small,  triangular,  very  convex,  nearly  equilateral ;  beaks 
elevated,  the  spaces  before  and  behind  them  broad  heart-shaped. 

FIGURES  34,  35. 
State  Coll.,  No.  227.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2325. 

Mactra  laterals,  SAY  ;    Journ.  Acad.  Nat.   Sc.,  ii,  309.    CONRAD  ;    Am.tr.  Mar. 
Conch.,  62,  pi.  14,  f.  4. 


MACTRACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  MACTRA.          55 

Shell  small,  triangular,  tumid,  nearly  smooth,  shining  ;  nearly 
equilateral,  the  posterior  side  somewhat  prolonged,  and  sloping 
less  rapidly  than  the  anterior  side  ;  ends  rounded  ;  beaks  elevated, 
not  meeting,  pointed  and  inclined  forwards  ;  the  regions  before 
and  behind  the  beaks  are  broad,  flattened,  and  more  or  less  heart- 
shaped,  defined  by  slightly  elevated  ridges  ;  surface  finely  marked 
by  the  lines  of  growth,  white,  covered  with  a  thin,  dirty-brown  epi- 
dermis ;  hinge  strong,  the  pit  for  the  cartilage  being  a  small  recess 
penetrating  deeply  into  the  beaks  ;  before  it  is  a  strong,  promi- 
nent V  tooth,  and  on  each  side  of  it,  in  the  left  valve  is  a  stout 
and  prominent  lateral  tooth,  and  in  the  other  a  deep  fossa  with 
elevated  sides  to  receive  it  ;  cavity  of  the  beaks  deep  ;  muscular 
impressions  deep  ;  palleal  impressions  distinct,  with  a  shallow 
sinus  posteriorly  ;  interior  clear  glossy-white.  Length  -|  inch, 
height  /¥  inch,  breadth  T3ff  inch. 

The  only  places,  where  I  have  found  this  shell  living,  are  the 
inlets  of  the  salt  marshes  between  Roxbury  and  Boston.  But  all 
the  flats,  which  have  been  drained  by  the  erection  of  the  Mill  dam, 
have  a  layer  of  them  just  beneath  the  surface  ;  and  vast  numbers 
were  un-earthed  in  throwing  up  the  embankments  for  the  rail-ways 
which  cross  them.  They  doubtless  exist  plentifully  in  the  bed  of 
the  river  on  the  other  side  of  the  Mill-dam.  They  are  found 
abundantly  at  New  Bedford  also,  and  I  know  them  to  be  common 
about  Rhode  Island. 

It  assumes  very  various  forms,  depending  mostly  on  age.  When 
young,  the  shell  is  thin,  rather  compressed,  and  the  beaks  are  incon- 
spicuous and  touching  each  other.  By  age  it  becomes  very  thick  and 
turgid,  the  beaks  elevated  and  widely  separated,  and  the  height  of  the 
shell  often  equals  its  length. 

The  small,  deeply  penetrating  pit  of  the  hinge  is  very  peculiar. 

The  dimensions  of  one  from  the  track  of  the  Providence  Rail- 
road is  as  follows.  Length  T9^  inch,  height  -$?  inch,  breadth  •& 
inch.  It  is  represented  by  Figure  34. 

It  is  not  likely  to  be  mistaken  for  any  other  species.  The  young  of 
M.  solidissima  and  M.  ovalis  are  much  less  triangular,  and  of  a  very 
different  aspect.  It  has  more  the  proportions  of  M.  solida  of  Europe. 


56   INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

GENUS  CUJVlfNGIA  BROD,  and  SOWERBT. 

Shell  ovate,  inequilateral,  equivalve ;  a  shallow  spoon-shaped  car- 
dinal tooth,  and  a  single  small  tooth  by  its  side  in  each  valve,  and  a 
strong  lateral  tooth  on  both  sides  in  one  valve  only ;  palleal  impres- 
sion with  a  large  sinus. 

CUMI'NGIA  TELLINO'IDES. 

Shell  ovate-triangular,  thin,  white,  nearly  equilateral,  pointed 
and  warped  behind ;  surface  with  sharp,  elevated  lines  of  growth. 

FIGURE  34. 

State  Coll.,  No.  225.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1744. 

Mactra  tellinoides,  CONRAD  ;  Journ.  Jlcad.  Nat.  Sc.,  vi.  258,  pi.  9,  f.  2,  3.    dmer. 

Mar    Conch.,  60,  pi.  14,  f.  2. 
Cumingia  tellinoides,  CONRAD  ;   Journ.  Jlcad.  Nat.  Sc.,  vii.  234. 

Shell  transversely  triangular-ovate,  thin,  fragile,  bluish-white  ; 
nearly  equilateral,  anteriorly  broad,  tumid,  and  regularly  rounded  ; 
posteriorly  compressed,  warped,  ending  in  a  rounded  point,  the 
margin  declining  more  rapidly  than  in  front  ;  beaks  raised,  not  in- 
clining to  either  end.  Stages  of  growth  marked  by  sharp,  raised 
ridges,  which  are  crossed  by  microscopic,  radiating  lines  ;  in 
front  of  the  beaks  is  a  small,  well-defined  areola.  Within,  glossy- 
white  ;  pit  for  the  cartilage  shallow,  directed  slightly  backwards  ; 
in  front  of  it,  in  each  valve,  is  a  linear  tooth  forming  part  of  its 
wall,  and  at  its  side  a  fossa  for  receiving  the  corresponding  tooth  ; 
lateral  teeth  distinct  in  the  right  valve,  but  wanting  in  the  left,  the 
anterior  one  longest.  Muscular  impressions  faint,  palleal  impres- 
sion far  within  the  shell,  with  a  broad,  deep  indentation  opposite 
the  base.  Length  f  inch,  height  -/-$  inch,  width  -^  inch. 

Found  abundantly  in  the  region  of  New  Bedford  and  Martha's 
Vineyard,  and  probably  may  be  found  everywhere  south  of  Cape 
Cod. 

Its  warped,  slightly  folded  end  gives  it  the  aspect  of  a  TELLI'NA. 
Its  shape  and  surface  is  similar  to  those  of  Corbula  contrdcta  of  the 
same  size.  The  raised  lines  are,  however,  thin,  elevated,  sharp  in 
this,  while  in  C.  contrdcta  they  are  thick  and  rounded,  and  the  shell  is 
so  much  more  compressed  as  to  preclude  mistake. 

A  species  of  this  genus  is  found  in  the  West  Indies,  perhaps  the 


MACTRACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  MESODESMA.          57 

same,  and  one  or  two  more  have  been  found  in  the  Pacific ;  and  these 
are  all  the  species  at  present  known. 

GENUS  MESODESMA,  DESH. 

i 

Shell  triangular,  compressed,  thick,  generally  closed,  hinge  a 
spoon-shaped  tooth  in  each  valve,  which  receives  the  cartilage,  and 
a  simple  lateral  tooth  on  each  side,  without  a  V  tooth. 

MESODE'SMA  ARCTATA. 

Shell  sub-triangular,  very  inequilateral,  truncated  before,  smooth 
and  covered  by  a  shining  yellow  epidermis ;  lateral  teeth  straight, 
striated. 

FIGURE    39. 

State  Coll.,  No.  223.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1737. 

Mactra  arctata,  CONRAD  ;  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.,  vi.  257,  pi.  11,  f.  1. 
Mactra  deaurata,  CONRAD  ;  Amer.  Mar.  Conch.,  59,  pi.  14,  f.  1. 
Mactra  subtriangulata.  WOOD  ;  Index,  SuppL,  pi.  1,  f.  10. 

Shell  sub-triangular,  wedge-shaped,  thick  and  strong,  very 
inequilateral,  the  posterior  side  very  short,  forming  the  base  of 
the  wedge,  its  lower  portion  truncated  ;  the  upper  and  anterior 
edge  is  a  straight  line,  the  anterior  extremity  narrowed,  regularly 
rounded,  as  is  also  the  base  ;  beaks  very  slightly  elevated,  not  in- 
clined to  either  end  ;  a  sharp  ridge  passes  from  them  to  the 
hinder  and  lower  angle  ;  surface  with  occasional  rounded  ridges 
at  the  lines  of  growth,  covered  with  a  thin,  golden-yellow  epider- 
mis, reflecting  a  metallic  lustre  ;  hinge  composed  of  a  very  deep, 
spoon-shaped  cavity  for  the  cartilage,  a  long  V  tooth  opening  at  a 
very  acute  angle,  and  on  each  side  a  straight  lateral  tooth,  par- 
tially double  in  the  right  valve,  their  articulating  surfaces  striated, 
the  posterior  tooth  much  the  shortest  ;  muscular  impressions  well 
defined,  connected  by  the  simple  palleal  impression  which  has  a 
sinus  behind,  of  about  the  size  of  the  rounded  muscular  impres- 
sion at  its  side.  Length  1-J  inch,  height  1  inch,  breadth  -|^  inch. 

Found  abundantly  at  Plumb  Island,  below  Newburyport  ;  vast 
numbers  are  also  thrown  upon  the  outer  side  of  Cape  Cod  ;  and  a 
few  specimens  have  been  taken  frorn  fish  caught  off  Nahant.     At 
Nantucket  it  is  rare. 
8 


58   INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

The  name  and  general  shape  of  the  English  M.  deaurata  would 
lead  one  to  'suppose  it  to  be  identical  with  our  shell,  and  Mr.  Conrad 
has  adopted  that  opinion.  But  Mr.  Sowerby  pronounces  them  not  to  be 
the  same.  Indeed  an  examination  of  Turton's  figure  in  his  "  British 
Bivalves  "  would  show  his  shell  to  be  more  closely  allied  to,  if  not 
identical  with,  the  next  species. 

MESODE'SMA  JAURE'SII. 

Shell  ovate-triangular,  thick,  antiquated,  coarsely  ridged  con- 
centrically, inequilateral,  lateral  teeth  very  strong,  curved,  faintly 
striated. 

FIGURE  38. 
State  Coll.,  No.  268.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2326. 

Mesodesma  Jauresii,  DE  JOANNIS  ;   Gutrin,  Mag.  de  ZooL,  Oct.  1834. 

Shell  ovate-triangular,  thick  and  massive,  surface  rising  into 
ridges  at  the  stages  of  growth,  and  covered  by  a  coarse,  dusky- 
brown  epidermis  ;  very  inequilateral,  behind  short  and  regularly 
rounded  to  the  base,  where  there  is  an  abrupt  turn,  and  the  basal 
margin  continues  in  nearly  a  straight  line,  or  is  a  little  arched  ; 
upper  hinge  margin  also  a  straight  line  or  slightly  concave,  ante- 
riorly regularly  rounded  ;  beaks  scarcely  rising  at  all,  not  in- 
clined to  either  end  ;  the  greatest  diameter  of  the  shell  is  midway 
between  the  beaks  and  the  anterior  extremity.  Spoon-shaped 
cavity  for  the  cartilage  very  deep  ;  on  its  anterior  edge  is  the 
vestige  of  a  short,  widely  diverging  V  tooth,  which  will  seldom  be 
found,  as  it  is  scarcely  possible  to  open  the  valves  without  de- 
stroying it.  On  each  side  is  a  very  strong,  curved,  lateral  tooth, 
with  a  pit  above  it  for  the  reception  of  the  tooth  in  the  opposite 
valve  ;  the  anterior  tooth  much  longer  than  the  posterior  and 
supported  beneath  by  a  thickening  of  the  shell ;  striae  on  the 
teeth  very  faint.  Within  glossy  white  ;  muscular  impressions  pro- 
found, united  by  a  simple  palleal  line,  which  has  a  small,  semi- 
circular sinus  behind.  Length  If  inch,  height  JTV  inch,  breadth 
T7^  inches. 

Brought  from  St.  George's  and  Grand  Banks.  I  am  not  aware 
that  it  has  actually  been  found  in  the  waters  of  this  State. 

The  obvious  distinguishing  marks  between  this  shell  and  the  preced- 
ing are,  in  M.  Jauresii  the  coarse,  rough  exterior,  its  longer  and  un- 


MACTRACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  MONTActfTA.          59 

cut  posterior  side  ;  its  very  peculiar  outline  when  viewed  with  the 
beaks  presenting,  on  account  of  its  thickness  anteriorly;  and  its 
strong,  curved,  nearly  smooth  lateral  teeth. 


GENUS  MONTACUTA,  TURTON. 

Shell  ovate  or  oblong,  equivalve,  inequilateral,  nearly  closed ; 
hinge  with  two  teeth  in  each  valve,  and  a  cavity  between  them ; 
lateral  teeth  none. 

This  genus  with  the  following,  seems  to  have  been  adopted  by 
several  distinguished  conchologists.  There  appears,  however,  no 
very  good  grounds  for  separating  them.  The  genus  Tellimya  of 
Brown,  which  comprehends  them  both,  may  yet  supersede  them. 
Fleming  conjectures  that  they  are  merely  the  fry  of  Mya  and  Lu- 
traria ;  but  in  this  I  think  he  is  in  error.  None  of  the  shells 
found  on  our  coasts  could  ever  have  originated  from  such  forms. 
Montacata  would  probably  come  under  Ungulina,  and  Kellia  un- 
der Erycina,  of  Lamarck. 

MONTACU'TA  BIDENTA'TA. 

Shell  minute,  white,  ovate-triangular ;  surface  roughened  with 
loose  lines  of  growth,  beaks  pointed  ;  tooth  on  the  shorter  side  oblique 
and  excavated  for  the  reception  of  the  ligament. 

State  Coll.,  No.  215.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2320. 

Mya  bidentkta,  MONTAGU  ;  Test.  Brit.,  44,  t.  26,  f.  5.  MATON  and  RACKETT; 
Lin.  Trans.,  viii.  41.  PENNANT;  Brit.  Zool.,  iv.  166.  WOOD;  Gen.  Conch., 
99.  Index,  pi.  3,  f.  16.  DILLW*N;  Catal.,  45.  TURTON  ;  Conch.  Diet.,  102. 
Biit.  Biv.,6Q. 

Shell  minute,  fragile,  white  within  and  without,  ovate-triangu- 
lar, inequilateral,  rather  convex  ;  beaks  nearest  the  broader  end, 
acute  and  prominent,  pointing  to  the  longer  end  ;  upper  margin 
sloping  rapidly  from  the  beaks,  ends  regularly  and  bluntly  rounded, 
base  scarcely  curved  ;  surface  shining,  but  rendered  somewhat 
scabrous  or  rough  by  numerous,  loosely  cohering  edges  of  the 
stages  of  growth  ;  its  only  variation  in  color  consisting  in  the 
opacity  or  transparency  of  its  substance.  Within,  polished,  and 


60     INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

destitute  of  any  apparent  muscular  or  palleal  impressions  except  in 
very  old  specimens,  but  faintly  marked  with  radiating  lines.  Hinge 
consisting  of  two  teeth  diverging  from  the  beaks,  so  as  to  leave  a 
triangular  vacancy  between  them  ;  one  of  them  considerably 
elevated,  and  more  so  in  one  valve  than  in  the  other,  while  that  on 
the  shorter  side  scarcely  rises,  at  its  tip,  above  the  edge  of  the 
valve,  and  its  inner  surface  is  excavated  and  receives  the  ligament. 
Length  nearly  J  inch,  height  ^  inch,  breadth  T^  inch. 

Found  by  Mr.  C.  F.  Shiverick,  in  New  Bedford  harbour. 
Only  a  few  specimens  have,  as  yet,  been  obtained. 

It  is  very  difficult  to  refer,  with  certainty,  so  small  a  shell  to  any 
described  species  or  even  genus.  However,  by  means  of  specimens 
of  M.  substriata  furnished  me  by  Dr.  Loven,  I  have  become  fully 
satisfied  as  to  the  genus.  It  seems  also  to  accord  sufficiently  well  with 
the  M.  bidentata  to  warrant  us  in  designating  it  as  that  species.  It  is 
probably  a  borer  like  its  European  co-species,  and  may,  most  likely, 
be  found  abundantly  in  the  antiquated  surfaces  of  old  and  thick  oyster 
shells. 

GENUS  KELLIA,  TURTON. 

Shell  somewhat  globular,  equivalve,  closed ;  hinge  with  two  ap- 
proximate teeth,  and  a  remote  lateral  tooth  in  one  valve,  and  a 
concave  tooth  and  remote  lateral  one  in  the  other. 

K^LLIA    RUBRA. 

Shell  sub-oval,  white,  with  a  thin,  purplish  epidermis ;  leaks 
prominent. 

FIGURE  23. 
State  Coll.,  No.  216.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2321. 

Cardium  rubrum,  MONTAGU  ;  Brit.  Shells,  83,  t.  27,  f.  4.     PENNANT  ;   Brit.  Zool., 

iv.  189.     WOOD  ;  Gen.  Conch.,  213.     DJLLWYN  ;  CataL,  131. 
Cardium  loeve,  WALKER;  Test.  Minut.,  24. 
Tellina  rubra,  TURTON  ;  Conch.  Diet.,  168. 
Kellia  rubra,  TURTON  ;  Brit.  Biv.,  58.    FLEMING  ;  Brit.  Mm.,  430. 

Shell  minute,  rather  thick,  sub-oval,  very  inequilateral,  rather 
compressed  ;  beaks  rather  prominent,  and  in  contact,  having 
before  them  a  deeply  excavated,  elongated,  smooth  areola  ;  ends 


LITHOPHAGID^E.  MOLLUSCA.  SAXICAVA.  61 

broadly  rounded,  especially  the  posterior  tip  ;  basal  margin  scarce- 
ly curved  and  nearly  parallel  with  the  superior  margin  ;  surface 
marked  with  the  lines  of  growth,  eroded  at  the  beaks,  and  covered 
with  a  purplish  or  dirty- brown  rather  thick  epidermis.  Within 
white  and  glossy  ;  two  muscular  impressions  and  the  palleal  line 
directly  connecting  them,  without  any  sinus,  quite  perceptible. 
Hinge  consists,  in  the  right  valve,  of  a  narrow,  erect,  central  tooth, 
and  an  imperfect  one  each  side,  slightly  detached  from  the  edge 
of  the  valve  ;  in  the  left  valve,  of  a  well-defined  tooth  on  each 
side,  barely  separated  from  the  edge  of  the  valve,  leaving  a  tri- 
angular vacancy  between  them  to  receive  the  central  tooth  of  the 
opposite  valve.  Length  |  inch,  height  |  inch,  breadth  T^  inch. 

Several  specimens  of  this  minute  shell  were  found  by  Mr.  C. 
F.  Shiverick  in  the  harbour  of  New  Bedford.  I  have  also  found 
it  about  the  roots  of  sea-weed,  which  seems  to  be  its  proper 
station. 

The  arrangement  of  the  teeth  does  not  seem  to  be  well  expressed 
in  the  generic  description  ;  but  as  they  accord  precisely  with  those  of 
a  specimen  of  K.  sub-orbiculdris  sent  me  by  Dr.  Loven,  I  do  not 
hesitate  to  place  our  shell  under  the  genus.  I  cannot  find  that  it  dif- 
fers essentially  from  the  foreign  K.  rubra,  except  that  its  color  does 
not  appear  to  be  of  so  bright  a  red  as  Montagu's  figure. 

FAMILY  LITHOPHAGWM,  LAM. 

Shell  burrowing,  but  without  a  tube  or  accessory  valves,  more  or  less  gap- 
ing ;  ligament  external. 

GENUS  SAXICAVA,  LAM. 

Shell  transverse,  inequilateral,  gaping  posteriorly  and  above  ; 
hinge  nearly  toothless. 

SAXICAVA   DISTORTA. 

Shell  oblong,  inequivalve,  rounded  before,  and  generally  trun- 
cated behind,  and  with  a  prominent  ridge  running  from  the  beaks 
to  the  lower  posterior  angle  ;  surface  rough  and  irregular. 

FIGURE   40. 
State  Coll.,  No.  243.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1751. 


62  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

Saxicava  distorta,  SAY  ;  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.}  ii.  318. 
My'tilus  rugosus,  LIN.,  &c. 

Shell  oblong-oval,  coarse,  white,  very  irregular  in  shape  ;  in- 
equivalve,  the  right  valve  projecting  over  the  left  except  at  the 
shorter  end  ;  inequilateral,  the  anterior  side  rounded  and  generally 
of  about  one  half  the  length  of  the  other  side,  but  the  beaks  are 
sometimes  nearly  terminal  ;  the  posterior  end  is  most  frequently 
truncated,  but  at  other  times  rounded  ;  gaping  ;  beaks  rather 
prominent,  from  which  two  ridges  or  elevated  lines  run  back- 
wards, one  near  the  margin,  and  the  other  to  the  lower  angle,  giv- 
ing the  included  surface  a  lozenge  shape.  In  some  shells  these 
lines  are  very  distinct,  and  they  are  armed  with  a  series  of 
elevated,  arched  scales  or  spines  ;  the  basal  margin  is  usually  con- 
tracted at  the  middle,  and  slightly  arched  upwards  ;  surface  coarse- 
ly marked  with  the  lines  of  growth,  and  irregularly  undulated  ; 
epidermis  thin,  dingy-yellow.  Ligament  aided  by  the  mantle, 
which  adheres  all  along  the  back.  Teeth  for  the  most  part  want- 
ing ;  when  not  wanting,  a  single  rudimentary  tooth  in  one  valve  is 
received  into  a  pit  in  the  opposite  valve  ;  muscular  impressions 
obscure.  Length  1  inch,  height  f  inch,  breadth  T  inch. 

Found  adhering  to  marine  objects.  They  may  almost  always 
be  found  among  the  roots  of  fuci,  which  are  thrown  up  by  storms, 
adhering  to  stones,  shells,  &c.  The  best  I  have  ever  obtained 
were  taken  from  a  log  drawn  out  of  one  of  our  timber  docks,  to 
which  they  were  adhering  by  a  silken  byssus  issuing  from  the 
middle  of  the  base. 

The  foot  of  the  animal  is  of  a  bright  orange-color. 

This  shell  is  a  perfect  Proteus,  of  which  no  description  can  be  given 
that  is  not  liable  to  mislead.  I  think  there  can  be  little  doubt,  that  the 
same  shell  exists  on  the  European  shores,  and  that  it  has  been  already 
described  under  at  least  one  name.  But,  as  I  have  not  the  means  of 
arriving  at  certainty  on  this  point,  I  have  chosen,  until  better  satisfied, 
and  as  it  will  introduce  no  new  name,  to  retain  that  which  Mr.  Say 
applied  to  it. 

In  the  first  place,  it  would  come  under  the  genus  BYSSOMY'A,  on  ac- 
count of  its  being  furnished  with  a  byssus.  But  the  majority  of  the 
best  modern  conchologists  regard  this  circumstance  as  of  little  im- 
portance, and  consequently  reject  the  genus.  Some  specimens  cor- 


LITHOPHAGID^.  MOLLUSCA.  PETRICOLA.    /       63 

respond  well  with  the  description  of  S.  pholadis,  LAM.,  the  My  a 
byssifera  of  FABR.  These  are  found  in  places  where  their  regular 
growth  is  unobstructed.  Other  specimens,  and  especially  adult  ones, 
seem  not  to  vary  from  S.  rugosa.  Nothing  could  apply  better  to  our 
shell,  than  Turton's  description  of  Mytilus  rugosus,  in  his  "Con- 
chological  Dictionary."  But  our  shell  is  less  likely  to  belong  to  this 
than  to  S.  pholadis,  inasmuch  as,  besides  the  presence  of  a  byssus,  our 
shell  is  not  a  borer  like  S.  rugosa  ;  indeed,  there  are  no  rocks  on  our 
coast  of  a  calcareous  nature. 

Again,  there  are  small  specimens  in  which  the  two  lines  or  ridges 
along  the  posterior  slope,  armed  with  spines,  are  very  conspicuous, 
corresponding  to  the  S.  rhomboides  of  Deshayes,  the  Mytilus  prceci- 
sus  of  Montagu,  and  doubtless  the  Hiatella  drctica  of  Lamarck, 
(Solen  miniitus,  LIN.) 

Now  all  these  varieties  are  found  living  promiscuously  together ; 
and,  as  their  shape  is  known  to  be  greatly  modified  by  the  circum- 
stances under  which  they  are  developed,  the  rational  conclusion  is, 
that  they  all  pertain  to  the  same  species  ;  and  the  probability  is,  that 
they  are  identical  with  the  European  shell ;  but  under  what  name  to 
place  them,  and  whether  under  one  or  more,  it  is  now  impossible  to  say. 

GENUS  PETRICOLA,  LAM. 

Shell  transverse,  inequilateral,  rounded  before,  narrowed  posteri- 
orly ;  hinge  almost  toothless  ;  ligament  exterior. 

PETRICOLA  PHOLADIFORMIS. 

Shell  ovate-cylindrical,  chalky-white,  very  inequilateral,  acutely 
rounded  before,  covered  with  elevated  radiating  lines  and  ribs ;  an 
ovate  areola  before  the  beaks  ;  teeth  two  in  each  valve,  one  in  the 
left  valve  deeply  cleft. 

State  Coll.,  No.  244.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1746. 

Petrfcola  pholadiformis,  LAM.  ;  Jin.  sans  Vert,,\\.  159.  DESHAYES  ;  Encyc.  Meth., 
Vers,  iii.  747.  SOWERBY;  Genera,  Petricola,  f.  1,2.  SAY;  Amer.  Condi.,  pi. 
60,  f.  1.  CONRAD  ;  Amer.  Mar.  Conch.,  pi.  7. 

Petricola  fornicata,  SAY;  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.,  ii.  319.  RUSSELL;  Essex  Co. 
Soc.  Journ.,  i.  55. 

Shell  much  elongated,  ovate-cylindrical,  chalky-white  within 
and  without ;  equivalve,  very  inequilateral,  the  anterior  portion 


64  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

very  short,  and  acutely  rounded  ;  posteriorly  very  little  narrowed, 
the  hinge  and  basal  margins  nearly  parallel,  and  the  extremity 
bluntly  rounded  and  a  little  gaping  ;  beaks  elevated,  and  inclined 
forwards  ;  in  front  of  them  is  a  sharply  ovate  lunule,  distinctly 
defined,  and  marked  only  by  the  lines  of  growth  ;  behind  them  is 
a  projecting  ligament  of  considerable  length  ;  surface  coarsely 
marked  by  the  stages  of  growth,  and  covered  with  elevated,  ra- 
diating lines,  various  in  size  and  distance  ;  at  the  posterior  hinge 
margin  they  are  crowded  and  very  faint,  while  anteriorly  they  are 
large  and  distant  ;  about  seven  or  eight  of  them  are  more  prom- 
inent than  the  rest,  and  the  lines  of  growth  rise  upon  them  into 
vaulted,  tooth-like  scales  ;  hinge  margin  very  narrow  ;  teeth  two 
in  each  valve,  seeming  to  arise  out  of  the  cavity  of  the  beaks, 
and  curving  upwards  ;  in  the  right  valve  one  tooth  is  prominent 
and  furrowed  ;  the  other,  arising  a  little  before  it,  and  a  little 
deeper  within  the  shell,  is  quite  short  ;  in  the  left  valve  is  one 
large,  prominent  tooth,  so  deeply  divided  as  to  resemble  two, 
and  directly  behind  it,  diverging  widely  in  the  direction  of  the 
margin,  is  a  thin,  much  less  elevated  taoth.  Muscular  impres- 
sions faint,  connected  by  a  very  deeply  notched  palleal  impres- 
sion ;  furrows  within  answer  to  the  ribs  without.  Length  If 
inch,  height  T7^  inch,  breadth  £  inch. 

Found  on  various  parts  of  our  coast ;  at  Chelsea  and  Nahant 
beaches  it  is  found  abundantly,  imbedded  in  jutting  fragments  of  a 
marsh  which  once  existed  there,  but  which  has  been  washed  away 
by  inroads  of  the  sea,  and  now  only  an  occasional  remnant  lifts  its 
head  above  the  surrounding  sand.  Also  in  great  quantities  boring 
into  the  hard  blue  clay,  at  low-water  mark,  on  Phillips's  Beach. 

Deshayes  remarks,  that  this  is  a  very  extraordinary  shell  on  ac- 
count of  its  exterior  aspect,  which  would  lead  one  to  mistake  it  for  a 
small  Pholas.  To  any  one  who  has  seen  a  Pholas,  the  resemblance 
is  striking ;  but  the  want  of  any  wide  gaping,  and  the  articulated 
hinge,  at  once  correct  the  first  impression. 

The  teeth  are  so  long  and  slender,  that  it  is  a  rare  thing  to  find  a 
specimen  in  which  some  of  them  are  not  fractured. 

The  animal,  according  to  the  observations  of  the  Rev.  J.  L. 
Russell,  has  two  tubes  or  siphons  extending  from  the  longer  end>  the 
orifice  of  the  one  for  imbibing  water  fringed  with  a  circle  of  feathery 


NYMPHACEA.  MOLLUSCA.         SANGUINOLARIA.       65 

hairs,  consisting  of  four  large  and  four  small  ones  ;  and  the  same 
number  of  short,  obtuse  points,  without  fringe,  surround  the  orifice  of 
the  other  tube. 

PETRICOLA  DACTYLUS. 

Shell  elongated-ovate,  chalky-white,  very  inequilateral,  covered 
with  radiating  lines  and  ribs ;  no  areola  before  the  beaks  ;  teeth,  two 
in  the  right,  and  three  in  the  left  valve. 

FIGURE  41. 

State  Coll.,  No.  245.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2327. 

Petricola  dactylus,  SOWERBY  ;   Genera,  Petricola,  f.  3.     SAY  ;  Amer.  Conch.,  pi. 
60,  f.  2. 

This  shell  very  closely  resembles  the  preceding,  and  will  be 
best  described  by  a  comparison  with  it.  It  has  a  more  ovate 
form,  the  basal  margin  being  considerably  arcuated  ;  the  anterior 
extremity  is  broader,  and  obtusely  rounded  ;  there  is  no  marked 
areola  before  the  beaks,  but  a  deep  depression  under  them  ;  the 
ligament  is  longer  ;  the  radiating  lines  are  more  numerous,  the  rib- 
like  anterior  ones  are  more  numerous  (about  sixteen),  less  ele- 
vated, and  the  lines  of  growth  merely  undulate  over  them  without 
being  raised  into  vaulted  scales  ;  in  the  right  valve  are  two  teeth 
similar  to  those  in  P.  pholadiformis,  but  shorter  and  grooved  ;  in 
the  left  valve,  instead  of  the  large,  cleft  tooth,  we  have  two  teeth, 
the  division  between  them  answering  to  the  cleft  in  the  other 
species  ;  the  large  middle  tooth  is  folded,  and  the  posterior  one  is 
very  slender.  Length  If  inch,  height  f  inch,  breadth  ±±  inch. 

Sent  to  me  by  Dr.  L.  M.  Yale  from  Martha's  Vineyard. 

It  is  a  proportionally  shorter  and  broader  shell ;  but  its  most  obvious 
mark  of  distinction  is  the  want  of  an  areola  before  the  beaks. 

FAMILY  NYMPHACEA,  LAM. 

JVbf  more  than  two  cardinal  teeth  on  the  same  valve ;  nymph&,  in  general 
externally  prominent,  and  covered  by  the  ligament. 

GENUS  SANGUINOLARIA,  LAM. 

.Shell  equivalve,  inequilateral,  sub-ovate,   compressed,  rounded 
anteriorly,  sub-rostrate  posteriorly,  slightly  gaping  at  sides  ;  hinge 
9 


66  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

with  two  small  cardinal  teeth  in  each  valve  ;  palleal  impression  with 
a  deep  sinus. 

SANGUINOLA'RIA  FUSCA. 

Shell  compressed,  ovate-orbicular,  sub -equilateral,  rounded  be- 
fore and  somewhat  pointed  behind  ;  white,  covered  with  a  dusky 
epidermis  ;  teeth  two  in  each  valve,  the  largest  of  which  is  grooved. 

FIGURE  42. 
State  Coll.,  No.  212.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1754. 

Psammobia  fusca,  SAY  ;  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.,  v.  220. 
Sanguinolaria  fusca,  CONRAD  ;  Amvr.  Mar.  Conch,,  34,  pi.  7,  f.  1. 
Tellina  inconspicua  ?  SOWERBY  ;  Zool.  Journ.,  iv.  359. 
Tellina  Gronlandica,  BECK. 
Tellina  Balthica,  LIN. 

Shell  thin,  white,  compressed,  ovate- orbicular,  nearly  equi- 
lateral, height  nearly  equal  to  length,  rounded  before,  somewhat 
narrowed  and  pointed  behind  ;  beaks  minute  ;  an  imperfect  ridge 
or  fold  runs  from  the  beaks  to  the  posterior  termination  ;  surface 
finely  wrinkled  by  the  lines  of  growth,  covered  by  a  whitish  or 
dusky  epidermis  ;  ligament  exterior ;  two  unequal,  parallel  teeth 
in  each  valve,  the  large  one  opposing  the  small  one  in  the  other 
valve,  and  deeply  groved  or  cleft  ;  muscular  impressions  distinct. 
Length  iVinch,  height  ^  inch,  breadth  /<j  inch. 

This  is  one  of  our  most  abundant  bivalve  shells.  It  is  thrown  up 
on  every  beach,  and  appears  to  live  everywhere  in  shallow,  still  water. 
Multitudes  appear  in  the  mud  which  is  obtained  about  Boston  at  low 
tide  for  raising  wharves,  extending  the  land,  &c. 

Its  varieties  in  size,  strength,  and  color,  are  very  great.  In  muddy 
bays  they  grow  to  a  large  size,  are  thick,  and  of  a  bluish  or  sometimes 
a  rusty  color,  and  are  covered  with  a  firm,  dark  epidermis.  In  clean, 
sandy  localities  they  are  very  delicate  and  thin,  pure  white,  or  some- 
times of  a  delicate  rose-color  or  lemon-color,  and  the  epidermis  is 
very  slight. 

All  recent  authors,  except  Deshayes,  agree  in  calling  this  a  San- 
guinolaria. 

It  is  undoubtedly  identical  with  Tellina  Gronlandica  of  Beck ;  and 
it  certainly  is  very  like,  if  not  identical  with,  Sowerby's  T.  inconspicua, 
published  in  the  "  Zoological  Journal."  The  young,  delicate,  white, 
or  rose-tinted  ones  accord  in  every  respect  with  T.  Balthica. 


NYMPHACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  TELLINA.          67 

SANGUINOLA'RIA  SORDIDA. 

Shell  sub-oval,  thin,  white,  covered  with  a  dusky  epidermis  ;  an- 
terior side  semi-oval,  and  longest,  posterior  termination  somewhat 
angular ;  hinge  teeth,  two  in  each  valve,  one  of  which  is  cleft. 

State  Coll.,  No.  209.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2329. 

Tellina  sordida,  COUTHOUY  ;  Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  ii.  59,  pi.  3,  f.  11. 

Shell  sub-oval,  compressed,  thin  and  brittle,  slightly  gaping,  in- 
equilateral, the  anterior  side  being  longest  and  semi-oval ;  behind 
the  beaks  the  margin  declines  rapidly  in  nearly  a  straight  line, 
forming  a  rounded  angle  as  it  joins  the  base,  and  bordered  by  a 
faint,  roughened  wave  ;  surface  somewhat  undulated  by  the  lines 
of  growth,  especially  on  the  anterior  slope,  and  covered  by  a  thin, 
dusky  or  dirty-white  epidermis  ;  beaks  minute  ;  cardinal  teeth  two 
in  each  valve,  a  large  one  which  is  cleft,  and  a  very  delicate  one 
which  is  seldom  entire  ;  lateral  teeth  wanting,  or  consisting  of  a 
feeble  compression  and  elevation  of  the  posterior  hinge  margin  ; 
sinus  of  the  palleal  impression  nearly  reaching  the  anterior  muscu- 
lar impression  ;  interior  bluish-white.  Length  •£$  inch,  height 
•fy  inch,  breadth  |-  inch. 

Found  in  considerable  numbers,  and  in  a  fresh  state,  in  fish  caught 
off  Nahant. 

It  is  quite  clear  that  this  shell  belongs  to  the  same  genus  as  Say's 
Psammobia  fusca.  The  hinge  is  precisely  the  same,  and  the 
slight  wave  along  the  posterior  margin  is  no  more  conspicuous  than  in 
that  shell.  Its  habit  and  general  aspect  are  also  the  same. 

GENUS  TELIJNA,  LIN. 

Shell  transverse,  sub-equivalve,  compressed,  angular,  and  some" 
ichat  rostrated  at  the  posterior  end,  where  there  is  an  irregular,  wave- 
like  fold  ;  two  small  cardinal  teeth,  and  generally  two  lateral  teeth 
in  each  valve. 

TELLINA  TENTA. 

Shell  white,  oval,  behind  shortest,  narrowed,  very  much  warped 
and  widely  gaping  ;  lines  of  growth  very  fine ;  within  polished,  and 
with  numerous,  fine,  radiating  lines. 


68  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

FIGURE  43. 
State  Coll.,  No.  210.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2328. 

Tellina  tenta,  SAY  ;  Amer.  Conch.,  pi.  65,  f.  3. 

Shell  small,  thin,  white,  oval ;  beaks  pointed,  moderately  prom- 
inent behind  the  middle  ;  posterior  side  narrowed,  the  point  slight- 
ly truncated,  the  posterior  hinge  margin  curvilinear  ;  valves  very 
convex,  the  left  one  most  so,  widely  gaping,  and  very  far  bent  to 
the  right ;  posterior  fold  distinct  on  the  right  valve  ;  outer  surface 
shining,  but  not  polished,  minutely  wrinkled  by  the  lines  of  growth, 
and  with  a  few  fine,  radiating  lines  across  the  middle  ;  inner  sur- 
face polished,  white,  tinted  with  yellow,  and  covered  with  radi- 
ating lines,  which  produce  a  finely  indented  margin.  Hinge  very 
delicate,  with  two  diverging  cardinal  teeth  on  the  right  valve,  and 
a  single  one  on  the  left  ;  a  posterior  lateral  tooth  on  the  right 
valve,  and  a  corresponding  groove  on  the  left  ;  ligament  minute, 
prominent ;  muscular  and  palleal  impressions  distinct.  Length 
|  inch,  height  -|  inch,  breadth  •§•  inch. 

Found  by  Professor  Adams  in  1838  in  Dartmouth  harbour ; 
and  in  1839  he  obtained  numerous  single  valves  in  mud  dredged 
up  in  New  Bedford  harbour.  Mr.  Say  received  it  from  South 
Carolina. 

This  is  a  distinctly  characterized,  true  Tellina,  and  differs  from  all 
others  of  our  shores.  It  is  larger  than  T.  tenera,  and  has  not  its 
polished  surface.  It  differs  from  others  principally  in  its  less  trian- 
gular, strongly  warped,  and  widely  gaping  posterior  portion,  and  the 
radiating  lines  within. 

TELLI'NA  TE'NERA. 

Shell  oblong  sub-oval,  thin,  white ,  iridescent,  delicately  marked 
by  the  lines  of  growth  ;  inequilateral,  shortest  and  pointed  behind ; 
posterior  lateral  tooth  obsolete. 

FIGURE  44. 

State  Coll.,  No.  211.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1783. 

Tellina  tenera,  SAT;  Journ.  JlcaA.  Nat.  Sc.,  ii.  303. 

Shell  small,  thin,  and  delicate,  transversely  sub-oval,  or,  if  we 
regard  the  posterior  portion,  sub-triangular ;  slightly  longest  and 


NYMPHACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  LUCINA.          69 

semi-oval  before  the  beaks  ;  the  posterior  slope  sudden  and  nearly 
straight,  forming  a  blunted  angle  by  its  junction  with  the  base  ; 
marginal  fold  well  marked  ;  surface  regularly  and  delicately  mark- 
ed by  sharp  lines  of  growth  ;  color  white,  or  slightly  tinged  with 
rose-color,  and  iridescent ;  ligament  short  and  prominent  ;  cardi- 
nal teeth  two  in  each  valve,  the  posterior  one  of  the  left  valve 
rudimentary,  the  principal  one  in  each  valve  grooved  ;  lateral 
tooth  on  the  longer  side  distinct ;  that  on  the  shorter  side,  just 
behind  the  ligament,  scarcely  perceptible  ;  sinus  of  the  palleal 
impression  nearly  reaching  the  anterior  palleal  impression.  Length 
±£  inch,  height  ^  inch,  breadth  T57  inch. 

Found  abundantly  cast  upon  all  our  sandy  beaches,  and  prob- 
ably lives  not  far  from  low-water  mark. 

It  is  a  very  pretty  little  species,  its  beauties  becoming  developed  by 
examination.  There  are  two  other  species  closely  allied  to  it ;  the  T. 
polita,  which  is  a  somewhat  larger  and  stronger  shell,  its  posterior 
angle  more  prolonged  and  sharper,  and  its  surface  smooth,  glossy, 
porcelain- white ;  also  T.  iris,  of  about  the  same  size,  solidity,  and 
color,  but  its  surface  is  marked  by  oblique  grooved  lines  which  at 
once  distinguish  it.  This  is  not  found  on  our  shores,  nor  am  I  cer- 
tain that  T.  pollta  has  been.  It  is  not  likely  to  be  confounded  with 
any  other  shell. 

GENUS  LUCINA,  BRUG. 

Shell  rounded,  beaks  small ;  two  diverging  cardinal  teeth,  one 
of  which  is  bifid,  and  usually  two  lateral  teeth,  one  of  them  near  the 
cardinal  teeth,  in  each  valve  ;  there  is  sometimes  a  posterior  angle, 
but  never  a  fold,  as  in  Telllna ;  palleal  impression  without  a 
sinus. 

LUCI'NA  RA'DULA. 

Shell  orbicular,  compressed ;  surface  with  numerous  concentric, 
laminated  stricB  ;  lunule  depressed,  lanceolate ;  lateral  teeth  wanting. 

State  Coll.,  No.  213.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2330. 

Telllna  radula,  MONTAGU  ;  Test.  Brit.,  68,  pi.  2,  f.  2.  PENNANT  ;  Brit.  Zool,  iv. 
181.  RACKETT  ;  Lin.  Trans.,  viii.  54.  WOOD  ;  Gen.  Conch.,  183,  pi.  42, 
f.  4,  5.  TURTON;  Brit.  Biv.,llG.  Conch.  Diet. ,175.  CHEMN.  ;  Conch.,  vii.  1C, 


70  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

t.38,  f.  399.    DESHAYES;  Encyc.  Mith.,  Vers.,  ii.  379.    LAM.;  An. sans  Vert., 

vi.  225. 

Venus  borealis,  DONOVAN  ;   Brit.  Shells,  iv.  pi.  130. 
Venus  spuria,  DILLWYN  ;    Catal.,  194.    GMELIN  ;  Syst.,  3284. 
Pectunculus  subfusous,  LISTER  :  Conch.,  I.  293,  f.  129. 

Shell  white,  thick,  orbicular,  regularly  but  moderately  convex  ; 
hinge  margin  straight  ;  beaks  small,  pointed,  slightly  prominent, 
inclining  forwards  over  a  small,  indented,  smooth,  lanceolate 
lunule  ;  on  each  side  of  the  hinge  runs  a  shallow  furrow,  which, 
terminating  in  the  margin,  causes  a  slight  undulation.  Surface 
covered  with  fine  concentric,  lamellar  ridges,  in  the  intervals  of 
which  are  often  seen  minute,  radiating  lines  ;  interior  chalky- 
white,  except  around  the  margin,  where  it  is  polished ;  with 
radiating  lines,  most  apparent  near  the  margin.  Hinge  straight, 
without  lateral  teeth,  and  with  a  single  cardinal  tooth  in  the  left 
valve,  and  two  small,  diverging  ones  in  the  right.  Anterior  mus- 
cular impression  very  narrow,  and  directed  obliquely  to  the 
centre  of  the  valves.  Length  1|  inch,  height  the  same,  breadth 
TV  inch. 

This  must  be  considered  a  rare  shell,  and  an  inhabitant  of  deep 
water.  A  few  valves  have  been  picked  up  on  our  beaches  after 
severe  storms.  It  is  a  common  shell  on  the  other  side  of  the 
Atlantic. 

LUCI'NA  DIVARICA'TA. 

Shell  white,  orbicular,  lenticular,  sculptured  with  grooves  bent 
obliquely  downwards  at  both  sides ;  lateral  teeth  obsolete  ;  margin 
dentated. 

State  Coll.,  No.  214.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1792. 

Tellina  divaricata,  LIN.;   Syst.  Nat.,  1120.     GMELIN';   Syst.,  iv.  3241.  No.  74. 

BONANNI;  Recr.,  iii.    f.   349.     SCHROET.;  Einl.  in  Conch.,  ii.  663.    PETIV.  ; 

Gaz.,  t.  156,  f.  26.    KLEIN  ;   Ostracol,  t.  9,  f.  28.     FAVANNE  ;  Conch.,  pi.  48,  f. 

E.    CHEMN.;   Conch.,  vi.  134,  t.  13,  f.  129.    BRUG.  ;  Encyc.  Meth.,  pi.  285,  f. 

4,  a,  b.     PQLI;  Test.,  1.  pi.  15,  f.  25.     DILLWYN  ;    Catal,  i.  102.  No.  7.    TUR- 

TON  ;    Conch.  Diet.,  178. 

Cardium  arcuatum,  MONTAGU  ;    Test.  Brit.,  85,  pi.  3,  f.  2. 
Pectunculus  parvus,  LISTER;  Conch.,  t.  301,  f.  142. 
Luclna  divaricata,  LAM.  ;    An.   sans   Vert.,  vi.  226.    Jinn,   du  Mus.,  vii.  239. 

DESHAYES;  Encyc.  M6th.,  Vtrs,  ii.  376,  pi.  285,  f.  4.    BLAINV.;   Malacol.  pi. 

72,  f.  3,  3  a.    PAYRAUDEAU  ;  Catal.,  42,  No.  69. 
Strigilla  divaricata,  TURTON  ;  Brit.  Biv.,  119. 


NYMPHACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  LUCINA.         71 

Shell  white,  thin,  rounded,  regularly  convex,  sub-equilateral ; 
beaks  elevated,  inclined  forwards,  in  front  of  which  is  a  long  and 
narrow  areola  somewhat  crested.  Surface  glossy;  stages  of 
growth  strongly  marked  ;  deeply  sculptured  with  regularly  dispos- 
ed and  nearly  parallel  lines,  flexed  at  nearly  right  angles  along  the 
anterior  third,  so  as  to  pass  obliquely  downwards  towards  both 
ends,  and  forming  teeth  around  the  entire  margin,  most  prominent 
behind.  Hinge  margin  nearly  straight.  Teeth,  one  in  the  right 
valve,  very  small,  and  two  small,  diverging  ones  in  the  left  valve. 
Lateral  teeth  wanting  or  rudimentary.  Ligament  almost  entirely 
concealed.  Length  1  inch,  breadth  f  inch,  height  ^-0  inch. 

This  shell,  so  remarkable  for  its  universal  dispersion,  as  well  in  a 
fossil,  as  in  a  living  state,  is  not  unfrequently  thrown  upon  our  ocean 
shores  in  such  a  state  as  to  indicate  a  neighbouring  residence.  At 
Nantucket,  it  is  far  from  rare.  It  is  found  on  every  Atlantic  shore 
even  to  the  Southern  Ocean,  and  also  in  all  the  tertiary  formations  of 
Europe. 

It  varies  considerably  in  the  developement  of  the  lateral  teeth,  and 
in  the  approximation  of  the  strife. 

LUCI'NA  FLEXUO'SA. 

Shell  small,  ichite,  globose  triangular;  a  deep  fold  along  the 
posterior  margin  renders  the  base  sinuous  ;  hinge  with  only  a  single 
rudimentary  tooth  in  each  valve. 

FIGURE  52. 
State  Coll.,  No.  196.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2413. 

Tellina  flexuosa,  MONTAGU  ;    Test.  Brit.,  72.    PENNANT  ;  Brit.  ZooL,  iv.  183. 

RACKETT;    Lin.   Trans.,  viii.  56.     WOOD;    Gen.   Conch.,  188,  t.  47,  f.  7,  8. 

DILLWVN  ;  Catal,  99.  TURTON  ;  Conch.  Diet.,  177. 
Venus  sinuosa,  DONOVAN  ;  Brit.  Shells,  ii.  pi.  42,  f.  2. 
Cry'ptodon  flexuosa,  TURTON  ;  Brit.  BIV.,  121,  pi.  7,  f.  9,  10. 

Shell  minute,  white,  ovate-globose,  or  somewhat  triangular, 
nearly  equilateral ;  beaks  prominent,  inclined  forwards,  and  having 
a  rounded  depression  in  front  of  them  ;  behind  them,  a  remark- 
able widened  groove  runs  near  the  margin  to  the  posterior  base, 
producing  a  deep  indentation  in  the  outline  of  the  margin  at  that 
part ;  elsewhere  regularly  rounded  ;  surface  smooth,  dead  white. 


72     INVERTEBRATA   OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

Hinge  with  only  the  vestige  of  a  cardinal  tooth,  and  no  lateral 
ones.  Ligament  long  and  rather  large,  partly  concealed.  Inte- 
rior glossy  white,  with  minute  radiating  lines.  Length  ^  inch, 
height  somewhat  more,  breadth  T^  inch. 

It  inhabits  deep  water,  and  is  very  frequently  taken  from  cod- 
fish, caught  in  Massachusetts  Bay. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that  this  is  identical  with  the  British  shell, 
though  the  specimens  I  have  seen  are  much  smaller  than  the  foreign 
specimens  usually  are. 

I  have  arranged  it  under  the  genus  LUCI^NA,  as  most  of  its  charac- 
ters pertain  to  it,  and  none  of  them  seem  absolutely  to  forbid.  The 
genus  CRY'PTODON  has,  however,  been  formed  by  Turton  to  embrace 
this  shell,  on  account  of  its  single  tooth. 

FAMILY  CONCHACEA,  LAM. 

Three  cardinal  teeth,  on  one  valve  at  least;  the  other  with  as  many  or 
fewer ;  sometimes  with  lateral  teeth. 

GENUS  CYCLAS,  LIN. 

Shell  small,  thin,  ovate-globose  ;  hinge  with  two  minute  cardinal 
teeth  in  each  valve,  but  sometimes  in  one  only  ;  also  compressed, 
lateral  teeth ;  inhabits  fresh  water. 

CYCLAS  SI'MILIS. 

• 

Shell  oval,  truncated  at  the  extremities  in  young,  and  rounded  in 
adult  specimens,  convex,  sub-equilateral ;  beaks  slightly  elevated ; 
surface  with  conspicuous,  concentric  wrinkles ;  epidermis  dark 
chestnut-brown. 

FIGURE  53. 
State  Coll.,  No.  204.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1808. 

Cyclas  sirailis,  SAY  ;  Nicholson's  Encyc.,  Amer.  ed.,  iv.  pi.  1,  f.  9. 
Cyclas  sulcata,  LAM.;  An.  sans  Vert.,  vi.  271. 

Shell  sub-oval,  nearly  equilateral,  varying  much  in  its  outline. 
In  the  adult  shell  the  extremities  are  broadly  and  nearly  equally 
rounded,  the  posterior  side  being  somewhat  the  longest  and  most 
pointed,  the  base  very  little  curved  ;  valves  very  convex,  re- 


CONCHACEA.  MOLLUSC  A.  CYCLAS.          73 

markably  broad  across  the  beaks,  which  are  but  slightly  elevated ; 
color  dark  chestnut-brown,  within  bluish.  The  young  shell  is 
thin  and  compressed,  the  hinge  margin  nearly  a  straight  line,  the 
extremities  truncated  so  as  to  give  the  shell  a  quadrilateral  form  ; 
and  the  color  is  a  light  lemon-color,  or  honey-yellow.  The 
intermediate  specimens  exhibit  all  the  gradations  of  shape  or  color 
between  the  old  and  young.  Surface  at  every  stage  regularly 
wrinkled  concentrically,  with  strongly  raised,  sharp  lines  of 
growth,  and  generally  a  more  conspicuous  wave  marking  the 
former  year's  growth  of  the  shell ;  beaks  usually  eroded.  Hinge 
with  minute,  very  oblique  cardinal  teeth,  the  lateral  ones  distinct, 
strong  and  white.  Length  T\  inch,  height  %  inch,  breadth  f 
inch. 

Found  in  the  larger  ponds  and  rivers,  especially  along  the 
muddy  banks  of  the  Connecticut. 

This  species  is  closely  allied  to.  the  C.  rivicola  of  Europe  in  shape 
and  size ;  its  raised  concentric  strife,  however,  appear  to  be  much 
more  prominent.  It  may  always  be  distinguished  by  these  conspicu- 
ously raised  lines,  for  they  are  exhibited  by  no  other  American  species 
in  so  great  a  degree.  Several  other  species  are  described  as  having 
them,  such  as  are  named  under  the  synonyms ;  but  they  are  probably 
all  of  them  varieties  of  this  species.  The  young,  differing  widely  as  it 
does  from  the  adult,  has  been  commonly  received  in  our  cabinets  as 
Say's  C.  rhomboidea.  A  specimen  one  fourth  of  an  inch  long  would 
answer  very  well  to  his  description.  What  the  true  rhomboidea  is,  I 
have  not  yet  been  able  to  satisfy  myself.  The  two  species  of  Lamarck, 
also,  I  believe  to  be  varieties  of  this  shell ;  and  very  probably  his  C. 
striatina  also. 

CYCLAS  PARTUME'IA. 

Shell  rounded-oval,  sub-equilateral,  narrowest  anteriorly,  some- 
what angular  behind  ;  thin  and  fragile ;  valves  very  convex,  mi- 
nutely wrinkled  by  lines  of  growth,  and  obsoletely  radiated  ;  light 
horn-color  •  beaks  elevated. 

FIGURE  54. 

State  Coll.,  No.  203.      Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1699. 

Cyclas  partumeia  SAY  ;  Journ.  Aca<L.  Nat.  S'c.,  ii.  380. 
Cyclas  cornea,  var. 2,  3.     LAM.;  An,  sans  Vert.,  vi.  2G8. 
10 


74  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

Shell  rounded-oval,  broadest  behind,  thin,  fragile,  pellucid, 
somewhat  inflated  ;  beaks  nearly  central,  moderately  elevated, 
inclining  inwards;  hinge  margin  nearly  straight,  passing  by  a 
regular  curve  into  the  rounded  anterior  extremity,  but  curving 
suddenly  behind,  so  as  to  form  a  conspicuous  obtuse  angle,  caus- 
ing this  side  to  appear  broader,  and  giving  the  whole  shell  a  some- 
what rhombiform  appearance  ;  basal  margin  regularly  rounded  ; 
valves  very  tumid,  especially  in  mature  shells  ;  surface  shining, 
inconspicuously  wrinkled  by  the  lines  of  growth,  with  very  indis- 
tinct radiating  lines  ;  color  of  the  young  very  light  yellowish  ;  of 
the  adult  light-greenish  horn-color,  with  a  marginal  border  of  lilac 
or  yellow  ;  cardinal  teeth  small,  diverging ;  lateral  teeth  strong  ; 
white  ;  interior  tinged  with  lilac.  Length  /¥  inch,  height  f  inch, 
breadth  T\  inch. 

Found  everywhere  in  fresh  water  brooks  and  ditches,  in  mud, 
or  more  usually  inbedded  among  submerged  turf,  and  roots  of 
water-plants  and  shrubs. 

The  animal  is  of  a  light,  delicate  pink  color,  and  draws  itself 
about  rapidly. 

The  general  resemblance  of  this  shell  to  the  C.  cornea  of  Europe  is 
very  close.  Its  size,  color,  delicacy,  and  tumid  form  are  the  same. 
But  that  species  has  the  beaks  much  less  elevated,  is  broader  from 
side  to  side,  and  the  two  ends  are  almost  precisely  alike,  without  any 
angle,  or  any  widening  behind.  Our  shell  is,  on  the  whole,  more  deli- 
cate. It  is  unquestionably  the  variety  noticed  by  Lamarck  as  coming 
from  America.  The  young  and  old  differ  both  in  shape  and  color. 
The  young  are  less  tumid  and  longer,  and  the  disparity  of  the  sides  is 
much  greater,  than  in  the  adult.  They  have  also  a  light  honey-yellow 
color  and  great  transparency.  They  would  scarcely  be  recognised  as 
the  same  species  except  by  being  found  in  company,  and  also  by 
being  actually  found  within  the  adult  shell. 

CYCLAS   E'LEGANS. 

Shell  rhombic-orbicular,  tumid,  beaks  not  prominent,  sub-equi- 
lateral; color  olivaceous,  margined  with  yellowish  ;  surface  ele- 
gantly marked  with  Jinc  concentric  ridges. 

FIGURE  55. 


CONCHACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  CYCLAS.         75 

State  Coll.,  No.  285.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2335. 

Cyclas  ^legans,  ADAMS  ;  Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  iii.  pi.  3,  f.  11. 

Shell  in  its  younger  stages  compressed,  in  an  adult  state  tumid, 
sub-globular,  the  extremities  truncated  or  terminating  abruptly,  so 
as  to  appear  somewhat  four-sided  or  rhornboidal ;  beaks  not  prom- 
inent, the  anterior  side  a  very  little  the  shortest  and  narrowest ; 
basal  margin  nearly  straight  and  parallel  to  the  upper  margin  ;  the 
valves  are  not  regularly  convex,  but  somewhat  flattened  down  the 
middle,  so  as  to  exhibit  an  obtusely  rounded  ridge  passing  from 
the  beaks  towards  each  lower  angle ;  surface  delicately  marked 
with  fine,  rounded,  concentric  wrinkles ;  color  olive-green,  with  a 
straw-colored  margin,  and  narrower  zones  at  each  stage  of  growth. 
Hinge  rather  strong,  the  cardinal  teeth  rudimentary,  the  lateral 
ones  large  and  strong.  Interior  bluish.  Length  nearly  -J  inch, 
height  ^  inch,  breadth  ^  inch. 

Found  in  a  ditch  running  through  the  Cambridge  meadows, 
near  Fresh  Pond. 

This  is  a  remarkable  and  beautiful  species,  and  seems  to  be  rather 
rare.  Excepting  the  above  locality,  I  know  of  no  other  but  at  Wey- 
bridge,  Vermont,  whence  it  was  sent  me  by  Professor  Adams.  It  is  of 
about  the  size  and  width  of  C.  partumeia,  but  is  a  very  much  thicker 
shell,  differently  colored  and  sculptured,  and  its  four-sided,  angular 
outline  is  quite  different.  The  young  of  C.  similis,  though  equally 
four-sided,  is  much  longer  proportionally,  the  color  much  darker,  and 
the  ridges  on  the  surface  much  coarser.  In  this  species  the  four  sides 
are  nearly  equal. 

CYCLAS  DU^BIA. 

Shell  oblique,  triangular-ovate,  pale-olivaceous,  with  fine  con- 
centric ridges  ;  beaJcs  but  slightly  elevated ;  teeth  strong,  white. 

FIGURE  56. 
State  Coll.,  No.  286.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1809. 

Cyclas  dtlbia,  SAY;  Nicholsons  Encyc,,  Amer.  ed.,  iv.  pi.  1,  f.  10. 

Shell  small,  rather  thick,  triangular,  with  its  corners  rounded, 
shining  ;  beaks  at  one  end,  very  little  elevated  ;  hinge  margin  and 
short  end  straight,  the  two  lines  forming  a  right  angle  ;  base  and 


76      INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

the  longer  side  regularly  rounded  ;  valves  tumid,  surface  with 
minute,  concentric  wrinkles,  which,  towards  the  base,  enlarge 
into  obvious,  sharp  folds  ;  color  a  light-olive,  with  darker  zones, 
and  a  marginal  border  of  yellowish  ;  within  bluish  or  greenish  ; 
teeth  well  developed.  Length  %  inch,  height  i  inch,  breadth 
¥\  inch. 

Found  in  streams  in  Bristol  County,  and  in  ditches  in  the  Cam- 
bridge meadows,  in  company  with  the  last  species,  and  probably 
in  all  parts  of  the  State. 

Here,  again,  we  have  a  shell  bearing  a  close  resemblance  to  a  trans- 
atlantic species,  the  C.  obliqua  of  Lamarck,  C.  dmnica  of  some  writ- 
ers. The  foreign  shell,  however,  is  somewhat  longer,  less  inequilat- 
eral, and  more  oval,  and  the  wrinkles  are  somewhat  more  conspicuous. 
The  young  shells  of  our  species  have  the  beaks  more  removed  to- 
wards the  centre,  and  the  short  side  more  rounded,  so  as  to  be  scarcely 
distinguishable  from  the  European  species.  In  general  appearance  it 
is  very  like  Nucula  tennis. 

GENUS  ASTARTE,  SOWERBY. 

Shell  rounded.,  sub-equilateral,  compressed,  thick ;  hinge  with 
two  strong^  diverging,  cardinal  teeth  on  one  valve,  and  two  very 
unequal  ones  on  the  other,  or  only  one  large  one ;  palleal  impres- 
sion simple ;  ligament  exterior. 

ASTA'RTE  CASTA'NEA. 

Shell  sub-orbicular,  with  prominent  and  nearly  central  beaks ; 
lunule  deeply  excavated ;  surface  very  slightly  waved,  covered  with 
a  chestnut-brown  epidermis ;  margin  crenulated  within. 

FIGURE  44. 

State  Coll.,  Nos.  205,  207.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1806. 

Venus  castanea,   SAY  ;  Journ.  dead.  JVaf.  Sc.,  iv.  273. 

Astarte  castanea,  SAY;  Amer. Conch., pi.  1.    TOTTEN;  Sillimaris  Journ  ,xxviii.  f.  2. 

Crassina  castanea,  LAM.  ;  Jin.  sans  Vert.,  vi.  258. 

Shell  thick  and  ponderous,  sub-orbicular,  or  sub-triangular,  the 
beaks  nearly  central,  and  much  elevated,  generally  eroded  ;  the 
areola  in  front  of  the  beaks  is  ovate-lanceolate,  short,  broad, 
deeply  excavated,  very  smooth  and  darker  colored  ;  posterior 


CONCHACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  ASTARTE.          77 

slope  nearly  straight,  with  a  long,  narrow,  lanceolate  depression  ; 
basal  margin  regularly  rounded,  thick  ;  surface  very  slightly  undu- 
lated at  the  stages  of  growth,  covered  with  a  thick,  chestnut-color- 
ed epidermis,  wrinkled  and  stained  with  black  posteriorly,  with 
alternately  paler  and  darker  zones  ;  ligament  small  and  feeble. 
Hinge  very  strong,  the  hinge  margin  very  broad,  bearing  on  the 
right  valve  one  stout  tooth,  with  a  pit  on  each  side  ;  on  the  left 
valve  two  teeth  somewhat  diverging,  with  a  deep  pit  between 
them  for  the  reception  of  the  opposite  tooth  ;  cavity  small  ;  mus- 
cular impressions  deep,  elongated,  united  by  a  direct  palleal  im- 
pression ;  margin  in  adult  shells  regularly  crenulated.  Length  1 
inch,  height  1  inch,  breadth  £J  inch. 

Found  abundantly  in  Provincetown  harbour,  west  and  north  of 
the  light-house,  at  low-water  mark.  Occasionally,  specimens  are 
picked  up  on  Chelsea  Beach.  It  is  more  abundant  along  the 
coast  of  the  Middle  States. 

The  foot  of  the  animal  is  of  a  bright  vermilion-color,  and  when 
seen  protruded,  one  would  hardly  persuade  himself  that  a  red 
wafer  was  not  embraced  by  the  valves. 

This  shell  appears  to  be  a  well  characterized  species,  quite  distinct 
from  any  species  inhabiting  the  British  coast.  The  species  most 
nearly  allied  to  it  is  Venus  (Astdrte)  compressa,  of  Montagu. 

Its  remarkable  points  are,  its  height  being  usually  greater  than  its 
length,  its  prominent  central  'beaks  curved  so  as  to  give  the  shell  a 
somewhat  kidney-shaped  appearance,  the  broad,  excavated  lunule  be- 
fore them,  and  the  smooth,  chestnut-colored  surface.  The  blackening 
of  the  posterior  region  of  the  shell  is  very  peculiar.  Some  specimens 
look  as  if  this  portion  had  been  dipped  in  tar. 

The  varieties  in  form  and  coloring  are  very  numerous ;  one  or  two 
of  which  may  be  designated. 

Var.  A.  picea,  is  large  and  solid,  surface  with  a  few  wrinkles  without 
waves,  and  the  epidermis  of  a  dark  tar-color.  All  the  specimens  I  have 
found  upon  Chelsea  Beach  are  of  this  variety.  In  specimens  found 
about  Sandy  Hook,  New  York  harbour,  the  epidermis  partakes  of  this 
dark  appearance,  of  about  the  color  of  Mr.  Say's  figure  in  the  "  Amer- 
ican Conchology,"  though  the  surface  is  undulated.  Hence  I  infer 
that  the  oceanic  specimens  are  of  the  dark  variety,  while  those  which 
lie  in  quiet,  sandy  localities,  like  Provincetown  harbour,  have  rather  a 


78   INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

brownish-yellow  color.     In  proportions  it  agrees  with  the  type  spe- 
cimens. 

Var.  A.  procera,  inhabits  Provincetown  harbour,  and  is  fully  de- 
scribed and  figured  by  Colonel  Totten  in  "  Silliman's  Journal,"  as  a 
probable  variety  of  A.  castanea,  but  as  possibly  a  distinct  species. 
Its  variation  consists  in  its  very  light-colored  epidermis,  and  the  great 
elevation  of  its  beaks.  The  color  of  all  the  shells  in  that  harbour  is 
remarkably  light,  as  is  noted  of  Mactra  solidisslma  and  My  a  arenaria, 
so  that  in  regard  to  its  color  it  is  merely  a  local  distinction.  The 
elevation  of  some  of  the  specimens  is  remarkable ;  but  these  are 
found  living  intermingled  with  those  of  the  normal  form,  and  are 
found  of  every  intervening  degree  of  elevation.  The  shell  in  all  its 
varieties,  but  in  this  one  in  particular,  strongly  reminds  one  of  the 
termination  of  the  recurved,  round -pointed  table  or  fruit  knife.  The 
foot  of  the  animal  has  the  same  vermilion-color ;  and,  on  the  whole, 
this  must  be  regarded  as  merely  a  variety.  The  proportions  of  the 
most  elevated  specimen  figured  by  Colonel  Totten  are  ;  length  £  inch, 
height  1  inch,  width  £  inch. 

ASTARTE    SULCATA. 

Shell  ovate-triangular,  the  surface  with  deep,  concentric  furrows 
and  ribs,  vanishing  at  the  extremities  ;  beaks  prominent ;  lunule  and 
corselet  long,  narrow,  and  deeply  excavated. 

FIGURES  45,  46. 

State  Coll.,  No.  206.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1805* 

Venus  sulcata,  MONTAGU;    Test.  Brit.,  131.      PENNANT;    Brit.  ZooL,  iv.   203. 

MATON  and  RACKETT,  Lin.  Trans  ,  viii.  81,  pi.  2,  f.  1.     DILLWYN  ;    Catal.,\. 

167.    TURTON  ;  Conch.  Diet.,  235. 
Astarte  sulcata,  FLEMING  ;  Brit.  Jlnim.,  439. 
Venus  Danmonia,  MONTAGU  ;  Test.  Brit.,  45,  t.  29,  f.  4.     PENNANT  ;  Brit.  Zool., 

iv.  212.    WOOD  ;  Index,  pi.  7,  f.  21.    DILLWYN  ;  Catal,  167. 
Venus  Danmoniensis,  BLAINV.  ;  Malacol.,  557,  pi.  75,  f.  7. 
Crasslna  sulcata,  TURTON  ;  Brit.  Biv.,  131,  pi.  11,  f.  1,  2. 
Crassina  Danmoniensis,   LAM.;   An.  sans  Vert.,   vi.  257.     DESHAYES;    Encyc. 

M6th.,  Vers,  i.  77. 
Astarte  Danmoniensis,  SOWERBY  ;  Genera,  f.  1  to  3.     TOTTEN  ;  Silliman's  Journ. 

xxviii.  349,  f.  3. 
Venus  Scotica,  MONTAGU  ;  Test.  Brit. ,44   (the  young).     MATON  and  RACKETT; 

Lin.   Trans.,  viii.  81,  pi.  2,  f.  3.     TURTON;  Brit.  Biv.,  130,  pi.  11,  f.  3,4. 

Conch.  Diet.,  236.     WOOD  ;  Index,  pi.  7,  f.  20. 

Shell  sub-orbicular,  in  some  specimens  approaching  to  ovate, 
in  others  to  triangular,  thick  and  strong,  somewhat  compressed  ; 


CONCHACEA.  MOLLUSC  A.  ASTARTE.          79 

inequilateral,  the  anterior  slope  shortest  and  concave,  bearing  a  long, 
lanceolate,  deeply  excavated,  smooth  lunule  ;  posterior  slope  a 
straight  line,  usually  rounded,  but  sometimes  a  little  truncated  at 
the  hinder  end,  and  including  a  very  long,  triangularly  excavated 
corselet ;  beaks  moderately  elevated,  pointed,  and  coming  in  con- 
tact ;  surface  undulated  with  ten  to  twenty  strongly  developed 
concentric  furrows  and  ridges,  the  depressed  portions  wider  than 
the  raised  ones,  vanishing  at  both  ends,  covered  with  a  thick, 
greenish-yellow  or  glossy,  brownish-olive  epidermis.  Hinge 
margin  strong,  two  teeth  in  the  left  valve  and  one  in  the  right  ; 
interior  polished,  bluish-white  ;  muscular  impressions  distinct. 
Length  1  inch,  height  1J  inch,  breadth  f  inch. 

Very  small  and  half-grown  shells  are  not  uncommonly  found  in 
the  fish  of  Massachusetts  Bay.  It  has  been  found  by  dredging  in 
Newport  and  Portland  harbours  ;  and  occasionally  a  full-grown 
specimen  is  thrown  up,  with  sea-weed  attached,  on  our  beaches. 
I  have  no  doubt  it  would  be  found  in  many  places  by  dredging. 
Along  the  coast  of  Maine  it  is  common.  At  Augusta,  Maine, 
Dr.  C.  T.  Jackson  found  it  plentifully  in  a  partially  fossilized 
state,  and  in  company  with  other  shells,  such  as  are  now  com- 
mon on  the  coast  of  Maine,  imbedded  in  the  earth  many  feet 
above  high-water  mark,  showing,  conclusively,  that  that  region 
has,  by  some  cause,  been  recently  elevated  above  its  former  level. 

This  shell  seems  to  have  caused  much  perplexity  to  all  who  have 
undertaken  to  describe  it.  It  is  quite  uncertain  how  many  real  species 
are  embraced  in  the  above  synonyms.  The  discrepancy  of  authors, 
and  the  variety  in  the  form  and  sculpture  of  the  shells,  which  must 
come  under  one  or  the  other  of  the  names,  leaves  us  in  doubt.  I  have 
thought  best  to  present  them  as  one,  and  to  include  them  under  the 
name  which  seems  most  appropriate  of  the  three.  For,  in  the  first 
place,  the  Venus  Scotica  and  V.  Danmbnia  of  Montagu  are  clearly 
the  immature  and  mature  of  the  same  shell ;  the  distinctive  mark 
which  he  gives,  viz.  the' smooth  margin  of  the  first,  and  the  crenulated 
one  of  the  latter,  being  an  insufficient  one.  He  says,  "  The  construc- 
tion of  the  margin  must  be  considered  as  inviolable  ;  no  common  shell, 
whose  character  is  to  possess  a  plain  margin,  is  ever  found  with  a 
crenulated  one,  or  vice  versa"  Now,  it  is  perfectly  certain,  that  no 
species  of  the  genus  is  found  with  a  crenulated  margin,  until  the  shell 


80   INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

has  arrived  at  its  full  dimensions,  and  the  margin  of  the  valves  begins 
to  thicken,  as  it  always  does ;  and  then,  so  far  as  my  observation  goes, 
there  is  always  a  crenulated  margin  ;  so  that  this  is  merely  a  mark  of 
maturity. 

In  the  next  place,  Turton  and  others,  with  apparently  good  reasons, 
conclude,  that  the  sulcata  and  the  Danmonia  are  the  same.  It  is  cer- 
tain, that  Montagu's  figure  of  Danmbnia,  and  Turton's  of  sulcata,  in 
his  "  British  Bivalves,"  represent  precisely  the  same  shell.  Turton, 
however,  has  fallen  into  Montagu's  error  of  making  two  species,  the 
Scotica  and  sulcata,  which  he  says  are  precisely  alike  in  all  respects 
except  the  margin.  Both  the  figures  accurately  represent  one  of  the 
forms  found  on  our  coast,  and  that  which  might  be  regarded  as  the 
intermediate  form.  The  figure  of  V.  sulcata  in  the  "  Linnsean  Trans- 
actions," pi.  2,  f.  2,  and  even  its  description,  would  apply  better  to  our 
A.  castanea,  than  to  the  shell  in  question. 

Two  pretty  well  marked  groups  of  this  furrowed  species  may  be 
made  out.  One  in  which  the  shells  are  somewhat  elongated,  and 
pointed  posteriorly,  of  an  oval  shape,  undulations  about  fifteen,  and 
very  strongly  marked,  epidermis  very  dark  greenish-yellow.  Some 
of  them  are  quite  inequilateral,  and  occasionally  the  undulations  vanish 
not  far  below  the  summit,  and  the  remainder  of  the  surface  is  merely 
wrinkled.  These  do  not  correspond  with  any  British  shells  or  figures 
1  have  seen.  They  may  possibly  prove  to  be  distinct ;  and,  if  so,  I 
would  name  them  A.  unddta. 

•  In  the  other  group  the  shell  is  rounded,  the  beaks  nearly  central, 
broad  posteriorly,  and  usually  a  little  blunted  or  truncated  at  the  point; 
the  undulations  are  much  more  numerous,  twenty  and  upwards,  and 
of  course  more  crowded  ;  the  epidermis  is  dark  yellowish-brown,  or 
piceous.  These,  I  regard  as  the  true  A.  Danmoniensis.  They  agree 
with  the  figures  of  Montagu  and  Turton,  and  with  the  outlines  given 
by  Colonel  Totten. 

ASTARTE    LACTEA. 

Shell  sub-orbicular,  much  compressed,  concentrically  wrinkled, 
epidermis  yellowish-brown  ;  an  obsolete  marginal  tooth  in  each 
valve ;  margin  plain. 

FIGURE  47. 
State  Coll.,  No.  208.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1804. 

Astarte  lactea,  BROD.  and  SOWEKBY  ;  Zoo/.  Journ.,  iv.  365.    Appendix  to  Beechey's 
Voyage,,  pi.  44,  f.  12. 


CONCHACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  ASTARTE.  81 

Shell  orbicular-elliptical,  rather  thin,  much  compressed  ^sur- 
face marked  with  rather  remote,  rounded,  rib-like  ridges,  most 
conspicuous  along  the  posterior  slope  of  the  disk  ;  covered  with 
a  dark  yellowish-brown  epidermis  ;  beaks  nearly  central,  elevated 
and  inclined  forwards,  with  a  short,  lanceolate  lunule  in  front,  and 
a  longer  corselet  behind,  both  of  them  deeply  excavated  ;  the 
anterior  slope  from  the  beaks  is  concave  for  a  short  distance,  the 
posterior  is  straight,  and  both  extremities  are  broadly  rounded  ; 
ligament  broad  ;  hinge  margin  narrow  and  rather  feeble,  and  car- 
dinal teeth  slightly  elevated  ;  on  one  side  of  them  is  a  tooth-like 
ridge  along  the  margin,  and  on  the  other  a  groove  to  receive  this 
ridge ;  in  the  right  valve  the  groove  is  before,  and  the  ridge  behind, 
the  cardinal  teeth  ;  cavity  of  the  valves  rather  shallow  ;  muscular 
and  palleal  impressions  rather  indistinct ;  the  margin,  in  the  speci- 
mens I  have,  is  sharp  and  not  crenulated.  Length  ly1^  inch, 
height  1  inch,  breadth  f  inch. 

This  shell,  from  the  cabinet  of  Colonel  Totten,  was  brought  from 
the  Grand  Bank.  Of  the  two  specimens,  one  is  about  half  the  size 
of  the  other. 

The  specimen  from  the  Arctic  seas,  figured  in  the  "  Appendix  to 
Beechey's  Voyage,"  is  much  larger  than  either  of  these. 

It  is  distinguished  from  A.  sulcata  by  its  broadly  rounded  extremi- 
ties, compressed  form,  delicate  and  short  ridges,  slender  hinge,  shorter 
impressions  each  side  of  the  beak,  and  its  probably  plain  margin. 

ASTARTE  QUADRANS. 

Shell  triangular,  slightly  oblique,  anterior  side  longest  ;  surface 
smooth  ;  epidermis  yellowish-olive  ;  hinge  with  a  lateral  tooth  on  the 
anterior  margin. 

FIGURE  48. 
State  Coll.,  No.  202.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2331. 

Shell  small,  triangular,  solid,  nearly  equilateral,  side  margins 
bounded  by  straight  lines,  the  anterior  somewhat  longer  and  more 
oblique  than  the  posterior  ;  basal  edge  very  sharp  and  regularly 
rounded,  so  that  the  whole  shell  is  nearly  a  quadrant ;  beaks 
pointed,  and  not  inclined  to  either  side,  generally  eroded  ;  lunule 
lance-shaped,  slightly  impressed,  and  a  broader  and  longer  areola 
II 


82   INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

behind  the  beaks  ;  surface  smooth,  very  slightly  wrinkled  by  the 
lines  of  growth  ;  epidermis  light  yellowish-olive  ;  interior  glossy, 
bluish-white  ;  hinge  margin  narrow,  with  a  small  lateral  tooth  on 
the  left  valve,  about  half  way  along  the  anterior  margin,  and  a 
groove  to  receive  it  on  the  right  valve  ;  muscular  impressions 
rather  shallow  ;  inner  margin  not  crenulated.  Length  •£§  inch, 
height  2%  inch,  breadth  •£$  inch. 

Several  specimens  of  this  small  and  very  distinct  species  have 
been  furnished  me  for  description  by  Dr.  Prescott,  of  Lynn,  and 
by  Dr.  Storer,  of  Boston.  They  were  taken  from  the  stomachs 
of  fish  caught  in  Massachusetts  Bay. 

Its  triangular  form,  smooth,  glossy  surface,  and  more  especially  the 
small  lateral  tooth,  at  once  distinguish  it.  In  all  our  other  species  the 
anterior  margin  is  shortest  and  concave,  and  the  lunule  deeply  exca- 
vated ;  but  in  this  the  posterior  and  anterior  slopes  are  equally  direct 
from  the  very  summit. 

It  must  be  very  closely  assimilated  to  the  Venus  triangularis  of 
Montagu,  the  Cyprina  triangularis  of  Turton,  in  his  "  British  Bi- 
valves." But  I  cannot  make  out  the  requisite  number  of  teeth  to 
bring  it  within  the  genus  Cyprina,  or  to  correspond  with  their  descrip- 
tions. '  A  hasty  observer  might  confound  it  with  the  young  of  Cyprina 
Isldndica,  which  is  more  rounded  and  rough. 

The  existence  of  a  lateral  tooth  would,  literally,  exclude  the  shell 
from  this  genus.  But  the  general  characters  will  bring  it  naturally 
into  the  same  genus  with  A.  castdnea  and  sulcdta.  Moreover,  a  lateral 
tooth  is  more  or  less  developed  in  individuals  of  all  the  species  ;  and 
this  only  shows  the  close  alliance  of  the  genus  to  VENUS,  with  which, 
indeed,  Blainville  unites  it. 

GENUS   CYPRINA,  LAM. 

Shell  obliquely  heart-shaped,  beaks  prominent ;  hinge  with  three 
unequal^  diverging,  cardinal  teeth,  and  a  remote  lateral  one  ;  palle- 
al  impression  simple. 

CYPRINA   ISLANDICA. 

Shell  ponderous,  ventricose,  round-ovate,  inequilateral,  shortest 
and  compressed  anteriorly ;  lunule  none  ;  epidermis  chestnut -brown, 
thick,  and  coarsely  wrinkled  ;  edge  simple. 


CONCHACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  CYPRINA.          83 

State  Coll.,  No.  201.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1815. 

Pectunculus  maximus,  LISTER  ;  Conch.,  1.  272,  f.  108. 

Pectunculus  crassus,  DA  COSTA  ;  Brit.  Conch.,  183,  pi.  14,  f.  5. 

Venus  Islandica,  LIN.;    Syst.   Nat ,  1131.      GMEMN  ;    Syst.,  3271.     MONTAGU; 

Test.  Brit.,  114.     MATON  and  RACKETT ;    Lin.    Trans.,  viii.  83.     WOOD  ;  in 

Lin.  Trans.,  vi.  t.  17,  f.  1,2.     DILLWYN  ;  Catal.,  176.     CHEMN.;   Conch.,  vi. 

340,  pi.  32.  f.  341.    DONOVAN;  Brit.   Shells,  iii.  pi.  77.     MULLER;  Zool.  Dan., 

i.  29,  pi.  28,  f.  1  to  5.    TURTON  ;  Conch.  Diet.,  238. 
Venus  mercenaria,  PENNANT  ;  Brit.  Zool.,  iv.  pi.  53,  f.  47. 
Venus  bucardium,  BORN;  Mus.,  pi.  4,  f.  11. 
Cyprina  Islandica,  LAM.  ;  An.  sans  Vert.,  vi,  290.     DESHAYES  ;  Encyc.  Mdth., 

Vers,  i.  46,  pi.  272,  f.  6.     BLAINV.  ;  Malacol,  pi.  70  bis,  f.  5.     To  ETON  ;  Brit. 

Biv.,  135.     FLEMING  ;  Brit.  Mm.,  444. 
Cyprina  vulgaris,  SOWERBY  ;  Genera. 

Shell  large,  thick  and  heavy,  ovate  orbicular,  tumid  ;  beaks 
elevated,  pointed,  turned  forwards  and  inwards  so  as  to  come 
nearly  in  contact  ;  anterior  side  shorter,  narrower,  rounded  and 
compressed  ;  posterior  side  full  and  broad  at  the  back,  slightly 
angular  at  the  extremity  ;  a  very  superficial  ridge  passes  from  the 
beaks  to  the  lowest  posterior  point  ;  the  space  which  they  in- 
clude is  very  coarsely  wrinkled  ;  there  is  a  shallow  oval  pit  before 
the  beaks,  but  no  distinctly  marked  lunule  ;  the  ligament  is  strong 
and  protuberant  ;  epidermis  of  a  dark,  shining,  burnt-brown  color, 
sometimes  almost  black,  coarse  and  strong,  rough  with  crowded 
and  loose  wrinkles  ;  hinge  margin  broad  and  strong  ;  cardinal 
teeth  diverging,  three  in  each  valve,  or  rather  one  large  double 
tooth  and  a  small  one  in  the  right  valve  ;  lateral  tooth  along  the 
posterior  margin,  slightly  developed,  blunt  ;  inside  chalky-white, 
muscular  and  palleal  impressions  superficial,  the  latter  having  no 
sinus  ;  margin  at  base  sharp  and  simple.  Length  3J  inches,  height 
3  inches,  breadth  1|  inch. 

This  shell  is  an  inhabitant  of  all  the  northern  Atlantic  seas, 
especially  near  where  some  river  empties  into  the  ocean.  It  is 
sometimes  thrown  upon  our  beaches  in  great  numbers  after  storms, 
being  driven  up  from  deep  water.  The  young  are  found  abun- 
dantly in  the  stomachs  of  fishes  taken  in  Massachusetts  Bay.  It 
appears  not  to  be  common,  if  it  is  found  at  all, .to  the  southward 
of  Massachusetts. 

It  is  one  of  our  largest  shells,  and  resembles  no  other  shell  of  our 
coast  except  the  Venus  mercenaria^  with  which  it  was  confounded  by 


84     INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

Pennant.  From  this  it  is  easily  distinguished  by  its  epidermis,  and 
also  by  wanting  the  purple  border  along  the  interior  margin  of  the 
shell. 

It  is  subject  to  very  little  variety.  Sometimes  the  surface  has  a 
series  of  concentric  ridges,  and  sometimes  the  beaks  are  unnaturally 
elevated  and  curved.  The  old  shells  have  a  very  dark  epidermis,  and 
are  generally  much  decorticated.  The  young  are  of  a  light  fawn- 
color,  with  darker  and  lighter  zones  ;  and  the  wrinkles,  being  much 
raised,  and  very  regular,  give  the  surface  a  very  pretty  appearance. 
The  rougher  surface,  greater  proportionate  length,  rounded  form,  and 
want  of  a  lunule,  distinguish  them  from  Astdrte  quadrans  of  a  similar 
size.  From  Astdrte  compressa,  they  differ  little. 

They  are  obtained  of  every  size,  from  one  fourth  of  an  inch  to 
four  inches  in  length. 

GENUS   CYTHER^A,  LAM. 

Shell  inequilateral ,  rounded  ;  hinge  ivith  four  diverging  teeth  in 
one  valve,  one  of  which  is  separate  from  the  others,  and  three  in  the 
other  valve  ;  no  lateral  teeth. 

CYTHERE A  CONVEXA. 

Shell  oval,  tumid ;  lunule  heart-shaped  ;  beaks  prominent  and 
recurved  ;  color  chalky-white. 

FIGURE  49. 
State  Coll.,  No.  198.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2332. 

Cytherea  convexa,  SAY  ;  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.,  iv.  149,  pi.  12,  f.  3  ;   vi.  261. 

Shell  oval,  rather  thin,  valves  very  convex,  color  a  dead-white 
or  with  a  rusty  tinge,  usually  chalky  ;  inequilateral,  beaks  ele- 
vated, curving  forwards,  in  front  of  which  is  a  well-marked  heart- 
shaped  lunule  ;  anterior  side  about  half  the  length  of  the  posterior, 
compressed  and  somewhat  pointed  ;  regularly  rounded  behind  and 
at  base  ;  surface  marked  with  coarse  lines  of  growth,  which  are 
most  regular  anteriorly  ;  ligament  long,  rather  sunken  ;  within 
milk-white,  polished  ;  impressions  superficial.  Length  1£  inch, 
height  1J  inch,  breadth  1  inch  nearly. 

A  few  specimens  have  been  found  on  Chelsea  Beach,  but  it  is 
rare.  It  has  been  found  about  Rhode  Island  by  Colonel  Totten  ; 


CONCHACEA.  MOLLUSC  A.  VENUS.  85 

and  it  has  also  been  taken  with  the  dredge  by  Drs.  Mighels  and 
Wood  of  Portland,  in  the  harbour  of  that  place. 

Mr.  Say  knew  it  only  as  a  fossil,  in  which  state  it  occurs  in  trfe 
tertiary  formation  of  Maryland. 

This  is  by  no  means  an  attractive  shell,  its  dead-white  surface  lead- 
ing one  to  suppose  it  to  be  some  beach-worn  specimen  of  Cyprina,  or 
perhaps  of  Venus  mercendria.  It  is,  however,  much  longer  than  the 
former,  and  somewhat  longer  than  the  latter  ;  and  it  never  attains  to 
any  thing  like  the  size  of  either  of  them. 

GENUS   VENUS,  Lm. 

Shell  inequilateral,  sub-ovate  ;  hinge  with  three  diverging  car- 
dinal teeth  in  each  valve  ;  palleal  impression  with  a  sinus. 

VENUS    MERCENARIA. 

Shell  solid,  obliquely  ovate.,  very  inequilateral ;  lunule  heart- 
shaped  ;  surface  antiquated,  bluish-white,  with  numerous,  concen- 
tric, laminated  ridges  ;  inner  margin  broadly  edged  with  violet. 

FIGURE  52. 

State  Coll.,  No.  197.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1859. 

Venus  mercenaria,  LIN.  ;  Syst.  JVaf.,  1131.  GMELIN:  Syst.,  3231.  LISTER; 
Conch.,  t.  271,  f.  107.  CHEMN.  ;  Conch.,  x.  t.  171,  f.  1659,  1660.  DESHAYES  ; 
Encyc.Meth.,  Vers.,  iii.  117,  pi.  263.  LAM.;  .fln.  sans  Vert.,  vi.  346,  pi.  263, 
f.  1  to  3.  DILLWYN  ;  Cqtal.,  i.  176.  WOOD  ;  Index,  pi.  7,  f.  40. 

Shell  large,  thick  and  solid,  obliquely  ovate,  or  heart-shaped, 
tumid  ;  exterior  a  dirty-white  and  chalky  ;  the  beaks  are  placed 
far  forwards,  projecting  nearly  to  the  front  of  the  shell ;  they  are 
elevated,  and  curved  so  as  to  make  nearly  half  a  turn  forwards 
and  inwards  ;  in  front  of  them  is  a  heart-shaped,  rough  lunule, 
bounded  by  an  impressed  line  ;  behind  the  beaks  the  edge  is  very 
broad  and  obtuse,  the  ligament  large  and  protuberant,  with  a  space 
around  it  somewhat  excavated,  smoother  than  the  rest,  and  bound- 
ed by  an  obtuse  ridge  ;  anterior  end  very  short,  round  ;  posterior 
end  terminating  in  a  blunt,  occasionally  truncated  point ;  looking 
at  the  side  of  the  shell  as  it  stands  on  this  point,  it  is  accurately 
heart-shaped  ;  surface  with  concentric  grooves  and  ridges,  the 


86   INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

ridges  being  crowded  and  rising  into  thin,  sharp  plates,  most  con- 
spicuous at  the  ends  ;  the  central  portion  is  nearly  smooth.  There 
are  also  minute  lines,  radiating  from  the  beaks  to  the  margin, 
most  conspicuous  on  the  beaks,  where  they  form  a  lattice-work 
with  the  concentric  lines  ;  color  a  dirty-white,  except  the  smooth 
portion  of  the  disk,  which  is  dark-violet  ;  within  pure  white  ; 
muscular  impressions  deep,  united  by  a  well-marked  palleal  im- 
pression which  has  an  acute-angled,  not  very  deep  sinus  ;  the 
margin  outside  the  impressions  is  more  or  less  of  a  beautiful  deep- 
violet  hue  ;  basal  and  anterior  margin  crenulated.  Length  3 
inches,  height  2J  inches,  breadth  2  inches. 

Brought  from  Wellfleet  and  other  towns  on  Cape  Cod  in  con- 
siderable quantities  to  Boston  market.  It  is  found  more  abun- 
dantly to  the  South,  and  in  New  York  and  Philadelphia  markets 
supersedes  the  use  of  the  Mya  arenaria  almost  entirely.  While 
it  may  be  found  in  greater  or  less  abundance  in  all  the  region  of 
Cape  Cod,  and  scantily  in  all  parts  of  Massachusetts  Bay,  I 
cannot  learn  that  it  is  ever  found  north  of  Cape  Ann. 

The  shell  is  easily  known  by  its  size  and  weight,  and  by  its  heart- 
shaped  form  when  resting  upon  its  point.  It  is  about  the  same  size  as 
Cyprina  Islandica,  from  which  it  is  distinguished  by  the  sharp  ridges 
on  its  surface,  and  by  the  want  of  an  epidermis ;  also  by  the  violet- 
colored  border  of  the  interior  of  the  valves.  This  mark,  however,  is 
not  constant.  In  young  shells  it  is  wanting,  and  also  in  very  old 
shells  the  color  is  often  obscured  by  a  thick,  white  glazing.  Fisher- 
men say,  that  those  found  outside  Cape  Cod,  in  the  region  of  Chatham, 
are  always  devoid  of  it.  The  shell  has  become  quite  famous  from 
the  fact  that,  from  its  purple  edge,  the  aborigines  manufactured  their 
purple  wampum  ;  while  the  white  wampum  was  made  of  various 
species  of  shells. 

It  is  known  in  Massachusetts  under  the  name  of  Quahog.  The 
upper  outline  of  the  figure  represents  this  shell. 

VENUS  NOTATA. 

Shell  ovate-orbicular,  inequilateral,  posterior  side  truncated  ; 
surface  with  concentric,  sharp  ridges,  mostly  wanting  on  the  disk  ; 
color  yellowish  or  greyish-white,  and  with  fawn-colored,  zigzag 
markings  ;  interior  wholly  white. 

FIGURE  52. 


CONCHACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  VENUS.          87 

State  Coll.,  No.  195.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1877. 

Venus  notata,  SAY  ;  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.,  vi.,  271. 

Shell  very  similar  to  the  preceding,  and  perhaps  merely  a  local 
variety.  The  differences  which  I  shall  mention  appear,  however, 
to  be  constant.  The  shell  is  less  heavy  and  coarse.  The  hinge- 
slope  declines  less  rapidly,  so  that  the  posterior  side  is  broader, 
and  its  extremity  broadly  truncated  ;  the  area  about  the  ligament 
is  much  more  smooth,  and  usually  colored  brown  or  purplish. 
The  concentric  ridges  are  more  regular  in  their  distances,  are 
somewhat  undulated,  and  frequently  are  lost  in  each  other  ;  on 
the  centre  of  the  shell  the  ridges  seem  to  have  been  worn  off, 
leaving  the  surface  nearly  smooth  ;  there  are  no  conspicuous  ra- 
diating lines  upon  the  beaks  forming  a  lattice-work  with  the  con- 
centric ridges  ;  but  between  the  ridges  are  fine  lines  of  growth. 
The  surface  is  shining,  not  chalky,  of  a  flesh-color,  and  with  zig- 
zag blotches  of  fawn-color  or  brown  ;  these,  however,  are  not  al- 
ways present.  The  interior  is  wholly  of  a  yellowish-white.  The 
lower  outline  of  the  figure  shows  its  form  compared  with  V.  mer- 
cenaria. 

Mr.  Say's  V.  protparca  seems  to  me  to  be  the  same  thing,  in 
which  merely  the  zigzag  lines  are  wanting.  Lives  along  the 
shores  of  Cape  Cod. 

VENUS  FLUCTUO'SA. 

Shell  transversely-ovate,  lenticular,  white,  with  a  yellowish  epi- 
dermis ;  surface  with  recurved,  concentric  waves  vanishing  at  the 
sides  ;  areola  none. 

FIGURE  50. 

State  Coll.,  No.  193.  Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2333. 
Shell  oblong-ovate,  lenticular,  rather  thin,  nearly  equilateral  ; 
white,  beneath  a  glossy,  thin,  straw-colored  epidermis  ;  anterior 
side  shortest  and  broadest ;  both  ends  widely  rounded  ;  beaks  slight- 
ly elevated,  with  a  smooth,  heart-shaped  space  before  them,  not 
distinctly  defined  by  any  boundary  ;  surface  with  from  twenty  to 
twenty-five  concentric  waves,  not  quite  extending  to  the  margin,  es- 
pecially anteriorly,  so  that  the  marginal  edges  are  plain ;  when  close- 
ly examined',  these  waves  or  ridges  are  found  to  be  compressed, 
thin,  and  inclined  towards  the  beaks;  cardinal  teeth  three  in  each 


88  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

valve,  the  middle  one  cleft  in  both  valves  ;  muscular  and  palleal 
impressions  very  superficial,  the  latter  with  a  deep  sinus.  Length 
|  inch,  height  |  inch,  breadth  /^  inch. 

Of  this  shell  I  have  three  specimens  brought  from  the  Bank  fish- 
eries. The  largest  specimen  is  proportionally  more  convex  than  the 
others,  and  the  ridges  are  less  definite.  The  ridges  and  grooves  of 
the  surface  are  like  those  of  V.  papilionacea* 

I  know  of  no  species  very  closely  approaching  this.  Most  of  those 
allied  to  it  have  the  posterior  extremity  more  or  less  angular ;  this  is 
always  accurately  rounded.  Venus  cenea  of  Turton,  small  specimens 
of  V.  gdlllna,  and  of  those  Indian  species  allied  to  V.  papiliondcea, 
may  be  mentioned  as  allied  to  it. 

VENUS  GEMMA. 

Shell  minute,  nearly  round  and  nearly  equilateral,  concentri- 
cally furrowed,  violet  and  white,  margin  crenulate. 

FIGURE  51. 

State  Coll.,  No.  194.     Soc.  Cab.  No.  2334. 

Venus  gemma,  TOTTEN  ;  Silliman's  Journ.,  xxvi.  367.  f.  2,  a,  b,  c,  d. 

Shell  small,  nearly  orbicular,  beaks  nearly  central,  slightly  ele- 
vated ;  generally  eroded.  No  defined  lunule  in  front  of  them  ; 
surface  shining,  with  minute,  concentric,  crowded  furrows  ;  ante- 
rior portion,  and  mostly  the  base,  white  or  tinged  with  rose- 
color  ;  posterior  and  upper  portion  reddish-purple  ;  within  white, 
except  posteriorly,  where  it  has  the  purple  color  of  the  outside  ; 
muscular  and  palleal  impressions  distinctly  marked,  the  latter  with 
an  acute  sinus  ;  teeth  divergent,  the  middle  one  in  each  valve 
stout  and  triangular,  the  anterior  tooth  of  the  right,  and  the  poste- 
rior one  of  the  left  valve  thin,  and  not  easily  distinguished  ;  inner 
margin  crenulated.  Length  ^  inch,  height  |  inch,  breadth  T\  inch. 

This  beautiful  little  amethystine  gem,  as  it  has  been  appropri- 
ately called,  is  found  in  great  abundance  on  all  the  sandy  shores  of 
Massachusetts  Bay.  Col.  Totten  also  found  it  in  Newport  har- 
bour. Beyond  this,  its  range  is  not  known.  It  was  noticed  by 
some  of  the  early  visiters  to  New  England,  and  specimens  of  it 
were  sent  home  to  England  among  other  curiosities.  It  is, 


CARDIACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  CARDIUM.  89 

therefore,  not  a  little  remarkable,  that  a  shell  so  long  ago  observed 
should  have  remained,  until  very  lately,  undescribed.  But  it  is 
only  recently  that  it  has  been  recognised  as  a  distinct  species 
and  described  by  Colonel  Totten.  It  is  commonly  regarded  as 
the  fry  of  the  quahog  (V.  mercenaria,)  on  account  of  its  purple 
tip.  But  on  close  examination  it  will  be  found  to  be  a  fully  de- 
veloped, mature  shell,  different  in  every  important  particular  from 
that  species.  It  is  a  very  interesting  shell,  as  being  by  far  the 
least  of  any  species  of  the  genus  known. 

FAMILY  CARDIJ1CEJ1,  DESK. 

Shell  somewhat  heart-shaped ;  cardinal  teeth  two  or  three, ;  lateral  teeth  one 
or  two. 

GENUS  CARDIUM,  LIN. 

Shell  somewhat  heart-shaped  ;  beaks  prominent ;  margin  gener- 
ally toothed  or  folded  within  ;  hinge  with  two  oblique  cardinal  and 
two  lateral  teeth  in  each  valve  ;  palleal  impression  without  a  sinus. 

CA'RDIUM  ISLA'NDICUM. 

Shell  large,  rounded-ovate,  tumid,  sub-equilateral,  with  about 
thirty-six  sharp,  three-sided  ribs ;  epidermis  lax,  and  rising  into  a 
fringe,  on  the  angle  of  the  ribs. 

FIGURE  58. 
State  Coll.,  No.  190.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1924. 

Cardium  Islandicum,  LIN  ;  Syst.Nat.,  1124.     CHEMN.  ;  vi.  200,  t.  19,  f.,  195, 196. 

GMELIN  ;  Syst.,  3252.   BRUG.  ;  Encyc.  Meth.,  222.   WOOD  j  Gen.  Conch.,  225,  pi. 

55,  f.  2,  3.     Index,  pi.  5,    f.  27.     LISTER;    Conch.,  t.  329,  f.  166.     GUALT.; 

Test.,  t.  71,  f.  M.    KNORR  ;  Delices,  fyc.,  vi.  t.  8,  f.  3.     BORN  j  Mus.,  49. 
Cardium  ciliatum,  O.  FABR.  ;  Fauna  Grcenl.,410. 
Cardium  pubescens,  COUTHOUY  j  Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  ii.  60,  pi.  3.  f.  6,  (young.) 

Shell  large,  rather  thin,  nearly  equilateral,  a  little  obliquely 
rounded-ovate  ;  tumid  ;  anterior  side  shortest  and  narrowest, 
ends  regularly  rounded  ;  beaks  prominent,  the  points  turned  in- 
wards, and  nearly  in  contact  ;  in  front  of  them  is  a  narrow,  heart- 
shaped  depression  ;  on  each  valve  are  thirty-six,  or  more,  three 
sided,  sharp-edged,  radiating  ribs,  the  furrows  between  themround- 
12 


90  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

ed,  and  regularly  wrinkled  by  the  lines  of  growth  ;  epidermis  yel- 
lowish-brown, lax,  and  bristling  into  a  stiff  fringe  on  the  sharp 
edge  of  the  ribs  ;  within  straw-colored,  the  portions  covered  by 
the  mantle  pearly  ;  grooves,  answering  to  the  ribs  without,  are 
obvious  within,  and  the  edges  are  strongly  notched.  Length  2 
inches,  height  somewhat  less  ;  breadth  1  inch. 

Found  plentifully  in  the  stomachs  of  fish  caught  in  Massachu- 
setts Bay. 

This  shell  seems  not  to  have  been  hitherto  described,  in  all  its  char- 
acters, by  any  one  writer.  English  authors  seem  to  have  possessed 
superannuated  specimens,  which  had  lost  the  epidermis ;  and  such  we 
have  long  been  in  the  habit  of  receiving  from  the  Bank  fishing-grounds. 
On  the  other  hand,  Mr.  Couthouy,  having  only  immature  specimens, 
failed  to  trace  their  pedigree.  Through  the  kindness  of  Dr.  Storer, 
I  have  had  an  opportunity  to  examine  specimens  of  Mr.  Couthouy's 
C.  pulescens  of  the  size  above  indicated,  taken  in  our  Bay,  covered 
with  their  peculiar  epidermis  ;  under  which  disguise,  however,  it  was 
not  difficult  to  detect  the  C.  Isldndicum.  A  few  years  since,  I  exam- 
ined a  denuded  specimen,  brought  by  Dr.  C.  T.  Jackson  from  the 
coast  of  Maine,  where  he  says  they  are  not  uncommon,  measuring 
2^  inches  in  length,  by  2^-  in  height.  Those  taken  in  Massa- 
chusetts Bay  seldom  exceed  half  an  inch  in  diameter. 

Destitute  of  an  epidermis,  it  looks  much  like  C.  edule,  but  is  easily 
distinguished  by  the  number  of  ribs.  In  two  of  my  specimens  there 
are  thirty-eight  ribs  ;  in  all  the  others  there  are  thirty -six  ;  C.  ediile  has 
twenty-six.  It  is  usually  found  in  company  with  C.  pinnulatum,  and 
would  not  be  readily  discriminated  from  it.  But,  besides  the  greater 
number  of  ribs,  its  bristled  fringe  upon  the  ribs,  instead  of  little  tuber- 
cles, marks  it.  It  closely  resembles  C.  exiguum  also  ;  but,  among 
other  obvious  differences,  that  shell  has  an  angulated  form. 

CA'RDIUM  PINNULATUM. 

Shell  small-)  sub- orbicular,  with  a  slight  angle  posteriorly,  sub- 
equilateral  ;  surface  with  twenty-six  ribs,  with  a  single  range  of 
arched  scales  upon  each. 

FIGURE  57. 

State  Coll.,  No.  191.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2336. 

Cardidm  pinnulatum,  CONRAD  ;  Jonrn.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.,  vi.  SCO,  pi.  xi.  f.  8. 


CARDIACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  CARDIUM.          91 

Shell  very  small,  fragile,  dingy  white,  nearly  orbicular,  some- 
what oblong  ;  nearly  equilateral  ;  beaks  slightly  elevated,  in- 
clined inwards  ;  an  obtuse  ridge  passes  from  the  beaks  to  the  pos- 
terior point  of  the  shell,  rendering  this  side  a  little  angular  ;  the  an- 
terior side  is  shortest  and  regularly  rounded  ;  surface  with  about 
twenty-six  rounded  ribs,  on  each  of  which  is  a  series  of  equidis- 
tant, arched  scales,  most  conspicuous  along  the  posterior  slope, 
where  they  sometimes  assume  the  form  of  spines  ;  interior  white 
or  flesh-colored,  sometimes  with  a  brownish  blotch  at  the  pos- 
terior muscular  impression  ;  furrowed  to  correspond  to  the  ribs 
without.  Length  -fv  inch,  height  T4¥  inch,  breadth  T3T  inch. 

This  very  small  and  pretty  species  is  as  common  as  any  other 
shell  in  the  stomachs  of  fishes,  and  may  be  obtained  from  them  at 
almost  any  time.  Mr.  Conrad  obtained  his  specimens  from  Mas- 
sachusetts, and  I  have  never  heard  of  it  in  any  other  locality. 

It  is  usually  accompanied  by  the  young  of  C.  Islandicum,  from 
which  it  is  distinguished  by  fewer  ribs,  and  the  scales  crossing  them. 
It  resembles  the  young  of  C.  edule  so  much,  as  to  excite  one's  suspi- 
cions that  it  is  not  a  distinct  species.  But  a  careful  comparison  will 
show  good  characters.  It  is  less  equilateral  and  less  convex  than  C. 
edule,  and  the  posterior  termination  is  quite  different.  From  C. 
exiguum  it  differs  in  not  having  a  .short,  diminished  anterior  side,  ele- 
vated beaks,  and  a  very  prominent  ridge  posteriorly.  The  whole  as- 
pect of  that  shell  is  angular,  while  our  shell  is  scarcely  at  all  so.  If  it 
is  the  young  of  any  known  shell,  I  think  it  is  that  of  C.  echinatum. 

CA'RDIUM  MORTO^NI. 

Shell  small,  thin,  sub-globose,  smooth,  pale  fawn-color,  some- 
times blotched  with  dark  brown  ;  within  striated,  bright  yellow,  with 
a  purplish  blotch  posteriorly. 

State  Coll.,  No.  192.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1928. 

Cardium  Mortoni,  CONRAD  ;   Journ.  Acad  Nat.  Sc.,  vi.  259,  pi.  xi.  f.  5,  6,  7. 

Shell  small,  thin,  obliquely  sub-ovate,  sub-globose  ;  beaks 
large  and  prominent,  incurved,  nearly  central  ;  posterior  side  a 
little  produced  and  directed  obliquely  downwards ;  surface  glossy, 
destitute  of  ribs  or  radiating  lines,  with  fine  lines  of  growth,  and 


92  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

an  occasional  darker  zone  ;  color  very  pale  yellowish,  covered 
with  a  very  thin,  darker  epidermis,  thicker  and  more  wrinkled  be- 
hind ;  in  young  specimens  are  blotches  or  zigzag  lines  of  dark 
fawn-color  ;  teeth  well  developed ;  inside  with  very  faint  and 
minute  radiating  lines  ;  margin  white,  the  remainder  bright  yellow  ; 
there  is  always  a  dark  purplish  blotch  along  the  posterior  margin, 
and  it  is  sometimes  mottled  with  bands  and  stains  of  reddish-brown 
on  other  parts  of  the  interior  ;  muscular  impressions  superficial. 
Length  of  largest  specimens  1  inch,  height  T9¥  inch,  breadth  T7T 
inch. 

Found  plentifully  about  Nantucket,  Martha's  Vineyard,  and 
Rhode  Island,  south  of  which  I  cannot  learn  that  it  has  been 
found. 

This  shell  is  very  closely  allied  to  the  C.  Icevigatum  of  the  West 
Indies,  and  has  no  other  well  marked  distinction  than  the  purple  blotch 
on  the  posterior  margin  within,  which,  so  far  as  I  have  observed,  is 
never  wanting  in  our  species,  and  never  present  in  the  West  India  shell. 
In  the  angular  markings  of  the  young  shells  they  are  similar,  and  also 
in  their  form  and  color ;  but  the  exterior  of  our  shell  is  less  smooth 
and  polished  than  C.  lavigatum,  a  difference  which  might  depend  on 
climate. 

CiRDiUM  GRCENLANDICUM. 

Shell  large,  sub-triangular,  drab-colored,  with  very  numerous, 
obsolete,  radiating  ridges ;  slightly  gaping  posteriorly,  beaks  slight- 
ly prominent,  incurved ;  margin  within  salmon-colored,  centre 
opaline. 

State  Coll.,  No.  199.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1916. 

Cardium  Groenlandicum,  CHEMN.  ;  Conch.,  vi.  1. 19,  f.  198.  GMELIN  ;  Syst.,  3232, 
No.  22.  BRDG.J  Encyc.  M6th.,  222,  No.  17,  pi.  300,  f.  7.  MONTAGU:  Test. 
Brit.,  29.  MATON  and  RACKETT  ;  Lin.  Trans.,  viii.  69.  DILLWYN  ;  Catal.,  i. 
129.  LAM.  ;  An.  sans  Vert.,  vi.  407.  WOOD  ;  Gen.  Conch.,  227.  Index,  pi.  5, 
f.28. 

Mactra  radiata,  DONOVAN  ;  Brit.  Shells,  v.  pi.  161. 

Cardium  ed^ntulum,  SOWERB?;  Genera,  f.  2.  Conchol.  Manual,  f.  123*.  FLEM- 
ING ;  Brit.  Anim.,  425. 

Aphrodite  columba,  LEA.  ;  Trans.  Am.  Philos.  Soc.,  (New  Series,)  v.  pi.  18,  f.  54. 

Shell  large,  not  very  thick,  sub-triangular,  elevated,  rather 
compressed  ;  beaks  not  very  prominent,  curved  inwards  and 


CARDIACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  CARDITA.  93 

slightly  forwards,  nearly  central  ;  anterior  margin  regularly  round- 
ed ;  posterior  side  somewhat  elongated,  margin  protuberant  below 
the  ligament,  bordered  by  a  slight  wave,  which  gives  the  posterior 
termination  a  somewhat  sinuous  or  truncated  appearance,  and 
leaves  the  shell  gaping  at  this  point;  this  region  is  also  more 
coarsely  wrinkled  than  the  rest  ;  surface  marked  with  minute  lines 
of  growth,  divided  into  zones  by  darker  indications  of  the  stages 
of  growth,  which  successive  increments  appear  very  loosely  at- 
tached posteriorly  ;  these  are  crossed  by  numerous,  inconspicu- 
ous, radiating  ridges  ;  epidermis  thin,  shining,  of  a  drab  or  very 
light  fawn-color  ;  hinge  slender ;  cardinal  teeth  nearly  wanting  ; 
lateral  teeth  distinct,  but  small  ;  muscular  and  palleal  impressions 
profound,  within  which  the  shell  is  opalescent-white,  the  margin 
light  salmon-color  ;  edge  slightly  crenated.  Length  2J  inches, 
height  2/g-  inches,  breadth  1J  inch. 

Brought  from  the  Grand  Banks,  but  not  as  yet  found  on  the 
shores  of  this  State. 

This  singular  shell,  from  its  triangular,  compressed  form,  and  its 
smooth  surface,  has  rather  the  aspect  of  a  MACTRA  than  a  CARDIUM. 
The  not  unfrequent  entire  want  of  cardinal  teeth,  has  misled  one  dis- 
tinguished conchologist  as  to  its  true  relations,  while  its  external  char- 
acters have  so  little  point,  that  another  was  not  led  to  it  by  any  exist- 
ing description,  and  made  of  it  a  new  species.  Dr.  Loven  informs  me, 
that  Beck  has  instituted  a  new  genus  for  it  which  he  calls  SERRIPES, 
on  account  of  the  serrated  margin  of  the  foot. 

The  old  shells,  one  of  which  measures  in  height  3J  inches,  in 
length  3J  inches,  in  breadth  1J  inch,  become  solid  and  strong,  and  also 
more  tumid,  especially  behind.  The  young  shells  often  have  the  sur- 
face variegated  with  stripes,  or  angular  markings,  of  rusty-brown  color. 
This  species  is  also  remarkable  for  gaping  posteriorly  to  a  considera- 
ble extent. 

GENUS  CARDiTA,  LAM. 

Shell  inequilateral,  regular,  hinge  with  a  short,  strong,  erect 
tooth  under  the  beaks,  and  an  oblique  one  stretching  along  the 
margin. 


94  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

CARDITA  BOREA'LIS. 

Shell  obliquely  sub-cordate,  beaks  prominent  and  recurved,  with 
about  twenty  radiating  ribs  ;  margin  crenate  ;  lunule  small  and  deep. 

FIGURE   59. 
State  Coll.,  No.  189.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1930. 

Cardita  borealis,  CONRAD;  Amur.  Mar.   Conch.,  39,  pi.  8,  f.  1.     SOWERBY;  Jlpp. 

to  Beechey's  Voy.,  pi.  44,  f.  1. 
Arclurus  rudis,  HUMPHREY  ;  Mss. 

Shell  rounded,  obliquely  heart-shaped,  thick,  and  strong  ;  in- 
equilateral ;  the  beaks  elevated  and  turned  forwards,  so  as  almost 
to  be  even  with  the  anterior  extremity,  which  is  regularly  round- 
ed ;  posterior  margin  regularly  rounded  by  a  much  larger  curve, 
which,  meeting  the  base,  forms  an  obtuse  angle  ;  surface  raised 
into  about  twenty  rounded,  radiating  ribs,  which  are  broader  than 
the  grooves  between  them  ;  these  are  rendered  rough  by  coarse 
lines  of  growth,  and  covered  by  a  strong,  rusty-brown  epidermis  ; 
lunule  very  strong,  and  deeply  imprinted,  rhomboidal  ;  ligament 
small  and  sunken,  nearly  concealed  ;  hinge  strong,  two  teeth  in 
each  valve  ;  in  the  left  valve  a  small  triangular  one  under  the  beak, 
and  an  oblique,  grooved,  or  partially  double  one  along  the  posterior 
margin  as  long  as  the  ligament ;  on  the  right  valve  a  long,  taper- 
ing, oblique  tooth,  fitting  between  the  two  teeth  of  the  opposite 
valve,  and  a  more  slender  one  on  which  the  ligament  partially 
rests  ;  interior  white,  margin  strongly  crenate  ;  impressions  dis- 
tinct. Length  1  inch,  height  1  inch,  width  T7¥  inch. 

Found  along  the  whole  coast  of  Massachusetts,  and  is  one  of 
the  most  common  shells  found  in  fishes.  It  is  a  more  northern 
shell,  and  is  found  along  the  coast  of  Maine,  and  in  the  Arctic 
seas,  of  a  very  large  size. 

The  shape  of  the  shell  is  much  varied  by  age.  In  the  young  the 
beaks  are  nearly  central,  very  little  elevated,  and  scarcely  recurved  ; 
but  the  posterior  portion  advancing  in  growth  faster  than  the  anterior, 
produces  the  obliquity  of  the  old  shell.  It  is  closely  allied  to  C.  tri- 
dentata,  SAY,  but  it  grows  to  a  much  larger  size,  is  more  inequilateral, 
and  has  two  teeth  in  the  right  valve,  while  that  shell  has  but  one. 


ARCACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  ARCA.  95 

FAMILY  J1RCJ1CEA,  LAM. 

Teeth  small,  numerous,  disposed  in  a  line  along  the  hinge  margin  of  each 
valve. 

GENUS  ARCA,  LIN. 

Shell  transverse,  beaks  separated  by  a  diamond-shaped  area  for 
the  ligament ;  series  of  teeth  in  a  straight  line. 

ARCA  PEXATA. 

Shell  oblong  ;  beaks  prominent,  very  oblique ;  the  ligamentary 
space  very  narrow  ;  surface  with  about  thirty-two  radiating  ribs, 
covered  with  a  shaggy,  brown  epidermis. 

FIGURE  60. 

State  Coll.,  No.  186.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1949. 

Area  pexata,  SAY;  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.,  ii.  268. 

Shell  thick  and  heavy,  oblong,  somewhat  ovate  ;  very  inequi- 
lateral ;  the  beaks  are  ventricose  and  prominent,  directed  very 
obliquely  forwards,  terminating  in  points  which  are  nearly  in  con- 
tact over  the  anterior  termination  of  the  series  of  cardinal  teeth  ; 
at  the  other  extremity  of  the  series,  the  outline  of  the  shell,  which 
is  elsewhere  regularly  rounded,  has  an  obtuse  angle  ;  the  ligamen- 
tary area,  or  space  between  the  beaks,  is  very  narrow,  scarcely 
separating  them.  Surface  with  thirty -two  to  thirty-six  radiating 
ribs,  rather  broader  than  the  channels  between  them  ;  these  are 
traversed  by  minute  lines  of  growth,  and  interrupted  by  the  more 
distinct  overlapping  zones  of  increase.  The  whole  is  covered  by 
a  thick,  shaggy,  fibrous  epidermis  of  a  dark  brown-color,  some- 
times protruding  from  the  interstices  of  the  ribs  in  a  fringe-like 
manner.  Interior  white,  the  margin  polished,  and  profoundly 
scolloped  by  the  alternate  terminations  of  the  ribs  and  grooves.  In 
front  of  the  regular  series  of  teeth  are  a  few  irregular  pits  and 
prominences  which  fit  into  each  other.  Length  2|  inches, 
height  2T'7  inches,  breadth  1J  inch. 

The  Area,  pexata  has  never  been  found  to  the  north  of  Cape 
Cod.  I  have  it  from  Martha's  Vineyard  ;  it  is  not  rare  in  Buz- 
zard's Bay,  and  is  common  about  Rhode  Island, 


96      INVERTEBRATA   OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

It  is  distinguished  from  other  North  American  species  by  the  po- 
sition of  its  beaks,  its  epidermis,  its  narrow  area  between  the  beaks, 
and  by  its  being  equivalve.  Its  height  increases  posteriorly,  so  that 
the  interior  of  a  valve  has  an  ovate  shape. 

Mr.  Say  remarks,  that,  when  violently  opened,  an  effusion  of  red 
sanies  issues ;  and  hence  it  has  acquired  the  name  of  bloody  clam. 

ARCA     TRANSVERSA. 

Shell  rhomboidal,  with  from  thirty-two  to  thirty-Jive  ribs  ;  beaks 
at  the  anterior  third  of  the  series  of  teeth. 

State  Coll.,  No.  187.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2337. 

Area  transversa,  SAY  ;  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.,  ii.  269. 

"  Shell  transversely  oblong,  rhomboidal,  with  from  thirty-two 
to  thirty-five  ribs  placed  at  nearly  the  length  of  their  own  diam- 
eters distant  from  each  other.  Apices  separated  by  a  long  narrow 
space,  and  situated  at  the  termination  of  the  posterior  (anterior) 
third  of  the  length  of  the  hinge  margin  ;  extremities  of  the  hinge 
margin  angulated  ;  anterior  [posterior]  edge,  the  superior  half 
rectilinear  ;  posterior  [anterior]  edge  rounded ;  inferior  edge 
nearly  rectilinear,  or  very  obtusely  rounded  ;  on  the  hinge  space, 
one  or  two  angulated  lines  are  drawn  from  the  apex  diverging  to 
the  hinge  edge."  Say.  Length  1J  inch,  height  1  inch,  breadth 
1J  inch. 

Found  about  the  sands  of  Nantucket  and  Martha's  Vineyard, 
and  it  is  said  to  be  not  uncommon  in  Buzzard's  Bay. 

I  have  quoted  the  description  by  Mr.  Say,  above,  merely  inter- 
changing the  terms  anterior  and  posterior,  to  accord  with  the  parts  of 
the  shell  to  which  those  terms  are  applied  in  other  parts  of  the  Re- 
port. The  position  of  the  beaks  distinguishes  it  from  the  preceding 
species. 

GENUS  NUCULA,  LAM. 

Shell  transverse,  without  an  area  for  the  ligament  between  the 
beaks  ;  a  straight  series  of  teeth  each  side,  forming  an  angle  at  a 
spoon-shaped  pit  which  separates  them. 


ARCACEA.  MOLL  USC  A'.  NUCULA.  97 

NUCULA    THRACI^FORMIS. 

Shell  kidney-shaped,  inequilateral ,  covered  with  a  dark  olive- 
green  epidermis  ;  a  rib-like  wave  passes  from  the  beaks  to  the  pos- 
terior-inferior angle  :  gaping  at  both  ends. 

FIGURE  66. 
State  Coll.,  No.  183.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2318. 

Nucula  thraciseformis,  STORER  ;  Bost.  Journ.  JVaf.  Hist.,  ii.  122.  (wood-cut.) 

Shell  oblong-ovate,  or  rather  kidney-shaped,  somewhat  pointed 
before,  broadest  and  truncated  behind,  thin  ;  gaping  at  both  ends  ; 
inequilateral  ;  the  beaks  considerably  elevated,  pointed,  inclined 
backwards,  and  touching  each  other,  are  situated  near  the  anterior 
third  of  the  shell ;  an  obtuse,  rib-like  wave  passes  obliquely  over 
the  shell  from  the  beaks  to  the  posterior  third  of  the  basal  margin, 
dividing  the  surface  of  the  shell  into  two  unequal  triangles  ;  the 
outline  of  the  anterior  triangle  is  regularly  curved,  excepting  a 
shallow,  lengthened  notch  between  the  centre  of  the  base  and  the 
wave  ;  the  upper  margin  of  the  other  triangle  is  nearly  direct,  a 
little  upturned  or  beaked,  and  its  edge  is  compressed  into  a  sharp 
crest,  the  posterior  margin  moderately  rounded,  joining  above 
and  below  with  an  abrupt  curve  of  a  truncated  appearance  ;  the 
anterior  portion  is  inflated,  and  the  epidermis  of  a  dusky  green  ; 
the  posterior  portion  is  compressed,  has  one  or  two  faint  waves 
or  radiations,  and  the  epidermis  is  of  a  lighter  yellowish-green, 
minutely  wrinkled  ;  surface  coarsely  marked  with  lines  of  growth, 
and  covered  with  a  sooty  powder,  which  easily  rubs  off  and  leaves 
a  glossy  black.  Hinge  with  a  very  large,  spoon-shaped  cavity, 
and  on  each  side  of  it  are  about  twelve  teeth,  each  one  folded  from 
the  centre  to  an  angle  of  45°  ;  cavity  of  the  beaks  very  ca- 
pacious ;  interior  polished  white,  impressions  faint,  the  palleal  one 
with  a  deep  sinus.  Length  2J  inches,  height  1|£  inch,  breadth 
1TV  inch. 

First  taken  by  Dr.  Storer  from  the  stomachs  of  Pleuronectes 
dentdta,  or  sand-dab,  caught  off  Race  Point,  in  December,  1837. 
In  that  winter  a  dozen  or  more  specimens  were  taken  from  the 
same  species  of  fish,  and  from  the  same  locality  ;  but  last  winter 
they  were  sought  for  without  success. 
13 


98      INVERTEBRAT'A  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

It  is  a  very  extraordinary  shell,  far  exceeding  in  size  any  known 
species  of  the  genus.  Indeed,  its  peculiar  shape,  very  large  spoon- 
hinge,  and  the  teeth  folded  like  those  of  ARCA,  entitle  it  to  a  generic 
distinction  so  far  as  the  shell  is  concerned  ;  and  I  believe  that  a  knowl- 
edge of  the  animal  will  establish  its  claims  to  one. 

NUCULA    LIMATULA. 

Shell  oblong-ovate,  rostrated,  very  smooth  and  shining ;  beaks 
sub-central ;  teeth  twenty-two  on  the  anterior,  and  eighteen  on  the 
rostrated  side. 

FIGURE  62. 
State  Coll.,  No.  184.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1962. 

JNucula  limatula,  SAY  ;  Amer.  Conch.,  pi.  12. 

Shell  transversely-ovate,  very  much  elongated,  thin,  lines  of 
growth  very  minute,  otherwise  smooth  and  covered  with  a  beauti- 
fully glazed,  light-green  epidermis,  with  an  occasional  darker  zone, 
and  two  or  three  lighter  radiations  ;  beaks  nearly  central,  not 
prominent,  inclined  backwards  ;  hinge  margin  behind  rectilinear 
nearly  to  the  tip,  compressed,  the  compression  not  reaching  the 
tip,  which  is  a  little  recurved,  pointed  and  not  truncated  ;  an- 
terior and  basal  margin  almost  regularly  rounded,  entire  ;  interior 
bluish-white,  somewhat  pearly  ;  cartilage-pit  small  ;  the  series 
of  teeth,  extending  more  than  two  thirds  the  length  of  the  shell,  is 
slightly  bent  at  the  pit,  teeth  prominent,  most  so  at  the  middle 
of  each  side,  their  summits  forming  a  regular  arch,  twenty-two  on 
the  anterior,  and  eighteen  on  the  rostrated  side,  excavated  on 
their  outer  faces  ;  impressions  quite  obvious.  Length  1T9¥  inch, 
height  T%-  inch,  breadth  T\  inch. 

Found  in  various  parts  of  Massachusetts  Bay. 

This  beautiful  shell  may  be  distinguished  from  other  species  of  our 
coast  by  its  length,  which  is  more  than  twice  as  great  as  its  height. 
Its  posterior  portion  is  also  more  narrowed  than  in  other  species. 
The  dimensions  given  above  are  those  of  a  specimen  larger  than  is 
ordinarily  found.  But  I  have  a  single  valve  sent  me  by  Dr.  Mighels 
of  Portland,  which  he  dredged  in  the  harbour  of  that  place,  where 
he  found  them  abundantly,  measuring  2-^-  inches  in  length,  and  1-^ 


ARCACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  NUCULA.  99 

inch  in  height.  He  informs  me  that  the  animal  is  very  active,  and 
that  it  leaps  to  an  astonishing  height,  exceeding  in  this  faculty  the 
scollop-shells. 

NUCULA  MYALIS. 

Shell  ovate,  smooth,  olive-colored ;  anterior  side  longest  and 
rounded ;  posteriorly  acuminated,  and  sub-rostrated  ;  teeth  about 
twelve  on  each  side. 

State  Coll.,  No.  200.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2215. 

Nucula  myalls,  COUTHOUY  ;  Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist,,  ii.  61,  pi.  3,  f.  7. 

Shell  ovate,  thin,  slightly  gaping  at  both  extremities,  moderate- 
ly convex  ;  surface  somewhat  undulated  by  distant  concentric 
ridges,  and  covered  with  an  olive-colored  epidermis,  arranged  in 
alternate  darker  and  lighter  zones  ;  beaks  not  elevated,  a  little 
behind  the  middle  ;  anterior  side  semi-elliptical ;  posterior  side 
sub-triangular,  upper  margin  behind  the  beaks  straight,  compressed 
and  sharp  to  the  very  tip,  which  is  obtusely  pointed  as  the  regular 
curve  of  the  base  meets  the  dorsal  line.  Interior  yellowish-white, 
glossy,  with  greenish  zones,  and  minute  radiating  lines  or  striae  ; 
cartilage  cavity  deep,  triangular  ;  series  of  teeth  about  twelve,  on 
each  side,  increasing  in  size  and  distance  towards  the  outer  ex- 
tremities. Length  1T^  inch,  height  T7^  inch,  breadth  /T  inch. 

Taken  from  the  stomachs  of  fish  caught  in  various  parts  of 
Massachusetts  Bay. 

The  general  aspect  of  this  species  is  like  that  of  N.  limdlula.  It  is 
distinguished  by  the  position  of  the  beaks,  and  the  smaller  number  of 
teeth  ;  the  whole  shell,  and  the  posterior  side  especially,  is  less  elon- 
gated, and  the  epidermis  is  of  a  darker,  more  strictly  olive  color,  and 
far  less  glossy.  It  never  attains  to  so  great  a  size.  It  has  almost  pre- 
cisely the  shape  and  size,  but  none  of  the  oblique  striae  of  N.  drctica, 
BROD.  and  SOWERBY.  N.  Eiglitsii,  COUTHOUY,  from  the  Antarctic 
seas,  must  also  be  very  closely  allied.  A  shell  from  Spitzbergen  sent 
me  by  Dr.  Loven,  and  named  by  him  N.  hyperlorea,  as  to  the  exterior 
and  the  position  of  the  beaks  is  like  this  ;  but  its  height  is  less,  and 
there  are  eighteen  teeth  in  the  posterior  range. 


100  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

NUCULA     SAPOTILLA. 

Shell  elongated-ovate,  sub-equilateral,  sub-rostrated,  tumid  at 
the  beaks,  with  a  slight  flexure  under  the  posterior  tip,  pale  yellow- 
ish-green, polished  ;  teeth  about  sixteen  on  each  side. 

FIGURE  61. 
State  Coll.,  No.  182.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2338. 

Shell  ovate,  prolonged,  thin,  fragile,  translucent,  the  beaks  a 
little  in  advance  of  the  centre,  not  elevated,  but  considerably  in- 
flated laterally  ;  anterior  half  regularly  semi-oval ;  posterior  por- 
tion narrowed  and  compressed,  the  line  running  from  the  beaks  to 
the  posterior  tip  straight,  and  rendered  sharp  by  the  compression 
of  a  very  narrow  portion  of  the  margin  ;  beneath  the  tip  is  a  trun- 
cation or  shallow  indentation  of  the  margin,  bounded  by  a  wave- 
like  swell  passing  from  the  beaks  to  its  anterior  termination  ; 
surface  marked  only  by  exceedingly  minute  concentric  lines,  and 
covered  by  a  very  thin  and  glossy  epidermis  of  a  light  yellowish- 
green  color,  with  an  occasional  narrow  zone  of  a  darker  color  ; 
within  pearly-white  ;  cavity  of  the  cartilage  deep  and  triangular  ; 
teeth  about  sixteen  or  eighteen  on  each  side,  long  and  pointed, 
very  small  and  crowded  at  the  centre.  Length  T9T  inch,  height  f 
inch,  breadth  y3^  inch. 

Inhabits  the  vicinity  of  Cape  Cod,  where  it  may  be  found  in 
the  stomachs  of  fishes,  and  also  by  dredging.  Many  specimens 
have  been  kindly  furnished  me  by  Colonel  Totten,  which  he  took 
by  dredging  in  Provincetown  harbour. 

This  is  the  living  analogue  of  the  fossil  species  described  by  Mr.  Say 
under  the  name  of  N.  lavis,  in  "  American  Conchology,"  pi.  12.  In 
size,  shape,  and  the  position  of  the  beaks  they  accurately  agree ;  but 
the  fossil  species  wants  the  emargination  or  flexure  under  the  posterior 
tip.  N.  mydlis  is  greater  in  height,  thicker,  darker,  and  has  the  beaks 
about  as  far  removed  towards  the  posterior  as  they  are  towards  the 
anterior  extremity  in  this  shell. 

Eroded  spots,  rilled  with  a  black  substance,  are  frequently  seen  ex- 
ternally, which  are  marked  by  a  corresponding  chalky  opacity  within. 


ARCACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  NUCULA.  101 

In  its  shape,  and  the  perfect  polish  of  its  surface,  this  shell  resem- 
bles the  seed  of  the  Sapotilla  (Achras  sapbta],  a  tropical  fruit ;  and  I 
have  substituted  that  name  instead  of  N.  Icevigata,  under  which  I  gave 
the  specific  characters  of  the  shell  in  the  "  American  Journal  of  Sci- 
ence," as  I  find  that  name  preoccupied. 

NUCULA  MINUTA. 

Shell  ovate-lanceolate,  inequilateral,  posteriorly  much  narrowed 
and  rostrated  ;  surface  with  numerous  concentric  ridges,  covered 
with  a  light  greenish-yellow  epidermis ;  teeth  twelve  before  and  six- 
teen  behind  the  beaks. 

State  Coll.,  No.  180.      Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2339. 

Area  minula,  GMELIN  ;  Syst.,  3309,  14.     MONTAGU;    Test.  Brit.,  140.     CHEMN.  ; 

Conch.,  x.  170,  f.  1657,  1658. 
Area  caudata,  DONOVAN  ;  Brit.  Shells,  pi.  78. 

Nucula  minuta,  TURTON  ;  Brit.  Biv.,  178.     FLEMING  ;  Brit.  Anim.,  402. 
Nucula  roslrata,  SOWERBY  ;   Genera,  No.  17,  f.  5. 
Nucula  tenuisulcata,  COUTHOUY  ;  Bost.  Jovrn.  Nat.  Hist ,  ii.  64,  pi.  3,  f.  8. 

Shell  ovate-lanceolate,  thin,  the  posterior  side  double  the 
length  of  the  anterior,  narrowed  to  a  point,  the  tip  being  a  little 
upturned,  truncated  and  gaping,  the  upper  margin  straight  and 
sharp  ;  anterior  side  regularly  rounded  ;  surface  wrought  into 
numerous  and  crowded  concentric  folds,  excepting  a  compressed, 
lanceolate  area  behind  the  beaks  reaching  nearly  to  the  tips,  which 
is  smooth  and  shining  ;  a  delicate,  sub-marginal  angle  runs  from 
the  beaks  to  the  lower  angle  of  the  truncated  tip,  at  which  the 
concentric  folds  or  ribs  are  bent  at  nearly  a  right  angle,  so  as  to 
be  parallel  to  the  margin  ;  epidermis  light  greenish-yellow,  or  sap- 
green  color,  within  pearly  white  ;  an  elevated  ridge  runs  from 
within  the  cavity  of  the  beaks  to  the  lower  angle  of  the  truncated 
tip,  corresponding  to  the  exterior  angle  ;  teeth  twelve  to  fourteen 
before  the  beaks,  and  sixteen  to  eighteen  behind  them.  Length 
1  inch,  height  ¥\  inch,  breadth  T%  inch. 

Found,  not  very  rarely,  in  the  stomachs  of  fishes  taken  off  Na- 
hant. 

This  shell  is  readily  distinguished  from  our  other  species  by  the 
folds  and  grooves  of  its  surface.  It  is  much  more  pointed  than  the 


102  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

other  species,  and  does  not  attain  to  a  large  size,  the  above  dimensions 
being  those  of  a  shell  one  third  longer  than  the  usual  size.  It  is  close- 
ly allied  to  N.  concentrica,  Say,  which,  besides  being  a  fossil  species, 
is  not  described  or  figured  as  having  a  truncated  tip.  It  is  also  allied 
to  N.  costellata,  Sowerby,  "  Conch.  Illust."  f.  8.  I  have  carefully 
compared  our  shell  with  a  specimen  of  N.  minuta,  from  the  coast  of 
Norway,  sent  me  by  Dr.  Loven,  and  can  find  no  difference  in  the 
number  of  teeth,  or  in  any  other  respect. 

Note.  The  following  undescribed  fossil  species,  is  so  closely  allied  to  the  pre- 
ceding, that  1  may,  with  propriety,  introduce  a  description  of  it  here,  though  it 
has  not  been  found  in  this  State. 

NUCULA   JACKSONII. 

Shell  ovate,  convex,  inequilateral,  posteriorly  diminishing  to  a 
narrow,  ascending  beak,  truncated  at  tip,  and  with  a  flexure  in 
the  margin  beneath  it ;  surface  with  concentric,  elevated  lines ; 
teeth  fifteen  before,  and  twenty  behind  the  beaks. 

FIGURE  65. 

Shell  ovate,  elongated,  ventricose,  rather  solid  ;  beaks  at  the 
anterior  third  ;  anteriorly  rounded  ;  posteriorly  rapidly  attenuated 
so  as  to  form  a  somewhat  ascending  beak,  truncated  at  tip  ;  pos- 
terior hinge  margin  straight  and  sharp,  compressed  at  each  side  so 
as  to  form  an  area  defined  by  denticulated  lines,  and  smooth  ; 
under  the  tip  is  a  flexure  or  shallow  indentation  of  the  basal  mar- 
gin, and  an  elevated  ridge  runs  from  the  beaks  to  the  lower  angle 
of  the  tip  ;  surface  covered  with  fine,  crowned,  elevated,  con- 
centric lines  ;  within  grooved  and  irregular,  with  accumulations  of 
calcareous  matter,  the  most  remarkable  of  which  are  one  under 
the  posterior  series  of  teeth,  and  a  rib  going  to  the  middle  of  the 
truncated  tip  ;  cartilage  pit  a  narrow  cavity,  which  penetrates 
through  the  shell  and  forms  a  transverse  fissure  between  the  beaks, 
which  are  widely  separated  ;  series  of  teeth  strongly  curved, 
fifteen  before  and  twenty  behind  the  beaks,  short,  very  broad, 
and  folded  outwardly.  Length  1  inch,  height  -JJ  inch,  breadth 
|  inch. 

Found  at  the  land-slip  at  Pride's  Bridge,  Presumpscot  River, 
Westbrook,  Maine,  September,  1837  ;  and  also  by  Dr.  C.  T. 
Jackson  at  Augusta,  while  engaged  in  the  geological  survey  of 
Maine,  in  honor  of  whom  I  have  named  it. 


ARCACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  NUCULA.  103 

It  is  remarkable  for  its  great  width,  which  makes  it  almost  cylindri- 
cal. The  concentric  lines  are  finer  and  closer  than  in  N.  minuta.  In 
general  outline  it  resembles  N.  rostrata,  SOWERBY,  "  Conch.  Illust." 
f.  12.  The  denticulated  boundary  line  of  the  beaks,  both  before  and 
behind,  are  very  peculiar. 

NUCULA  NAVICULARIS. 

Shell  small,  fragile,  crescentic,  sub-equilateral ;  surface  smooth ; 
epidermis  light-green  ;  rounded  before,  slightly  truncated  behind ; 
umbones  tumid  ;  teeth  eight  before  and  ten  behind  the  pit. 

State  Coll.,  No.  288.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2341. 

Nucula  navicularis,  COUTHOUY  ;  Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  ii.  178,  pi.  4,  f.  4. 

Shell  small,  thin,  fragile,  of  a  cresceritic,  or  somewhat  kidney- 
shaped  form,  smooth,  tumid  at  the  beaks,  and  compressed  at  the 
sides,  slightly  gaping  at  both  ends  ;  beaks  very  nearly  central, 
prominent,  and  directed  backwards  ;  anterior  side  elliptically 
rounded  ;  posterior  side  somewhat  narrowed  and  compressed, 
and  very  slightly  truncated  ;  basal  margin  strongly  curved  ;  sur- 
face smooth,  with  very  indistinct  lines  of  growth  ;  epidermis  a 
light  pea-green,  thin,  with  many  eroded  spots.  Ligamentary 
fosset  broad,  prominent,  and  oblique  ;  teeth  about  eight  before 
and  ten  behind  the  fosset.  Interior  glossy  white  ;  margin  simple. 
Length  ££  inch,  height  ^  inch,  breadth  ^  inch. 

Found  in  the  stomachs  of  fish  caught  off  Nahant  and  Plymouth  ; 
not  common. 

This  small  shell  might  at  first  be  regarded  as  the  young  of  some 
other  species.  But  the  central  position  of  the  beaks,  the  number  of 
teeth,  and  its  crescentic  or  boat-shaped  form  are  good  characteristics. 
The  size  above  indicated  is  about  one  third  larger  than  that  of  the 
specimens  usually  found. 

NU'CULA    PROXIMA. 

Shell  oblique,  ovate-triangular,  anterior  side  perpendicular  to 
the  base  ;  crossed  by  minute,  concentric,  and  radiating  lines  ;  epi- 
dermis olivaceous  ;  within  pearly,  margin  crenulated  ;  teeth,  twelve 
before  and  eighteen  behind  the  beaks. 

FIGURE  63. 


104    INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

State  Coll.,  No.  185.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1963. 

Nucula  proxima,  SAY  ;  Journ.  dead.  Nat.  Sc.,  ii.  270. 

Shell  small,  thick  and  solid,  very  oblique,  triangular,  the  outline 
and  angles  a  little  rounded  ;  the  anterior  side  nearly  vertical,  and 
about  two  thirds  the  length  of  the  posterior  side,  forming  some- 
thing less  than  a  right  angle  with  it  ;  beaks  somewhat  elevated, 
inclined  forwards  ;  anterior  slope  with  a  large,  ovate  area,  defined 
by  an  angular  ridge  ;  posterior  edge  broad  and  flattened  ;  surface 
crossed  with  somewhat  coarse  lines  of  growth,  and  by  very  mi- 
nute, radiating  lines ;  epidermis  light  olive-color,  with  darker 
zones  ;  interior  pearly,  the  margin  very  finely  crenulated  ;  car- 
tilage pit  very  small  ;  series  of  teeth  twelve  before  and  eighteen 
behind  the  beaks,  including  the  very  small  ones  near  the  pit, 
short  and  broad,  the  two  series  nearly  at  right  angles  with  each 
other.  Length  ^  inch,  height  near  anterior  side  -/•$  inch,  breadth 
2-5D  inch. 

Found  not  uncommonly  in  the  stomachs  of  fishes  taken  near 
Nahant.  Professor  Adams  found  it  abundantly  at  Dartmouth,  in 
mud  taken  up  beyond  low-water  mark  ;  and  Dr.  Yale  sent  it  to 
me  collected  on  the  shores  of  Holmes's  Hole. 

By  many,  this  shell  has  been  supposed  identical  with  the  N.  nucleus 
of  English  authors,  —  the  N.  margaritacea  of  Lamarck.  But  actual 
comparison  shows  a  wide  difference.  The  N.  nucleus  is  less  trian- 
gular, the  posterior  tip  broadly  rounded  ;  its  proportional  diameter  is 
not  more  than  half  as  great,  the  epidermis  is  firm  and  darker,  the 
teeth  are  ten  and  twenty,  and  the  whole  shell  is  double  the  size  of 
ours.  It  is  much  more  closely  allied  to,  if  not  identical  with,  a  shell 
sent  me  by  Mr.  Sowerby  under  the  name  of  N.  nitida.  The  number 
and  arrangement  of  teeth  is  the  same ;  and  if  there  be  any  difference, 
it  is  that  the  British  shell  is  smoother,  narrower,  the  angle  made  by 
the  anterior  and  superior  margins  is  greater,  and  the  shape  less  ob- 
liquely transverse.  The  striae  are  very  obvious  under  the  epidermis. 
In  young  specimens  a  series  of  transverse  indentations  may  be  seen 
along  each  side  of  the  posterior  hinge  margin. 


ARCACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  NUCULA.        105 

Nu'CULA    TE'NUIS. 

Shell  trapezoidal,  thin,  smooth,  loithout  radiating  lines ;  epider- 
mis grass-green ;  beaks  prominent,  placed  anteriorly  ;  margin  sim- 
ple, teeth  very  few. 

FIGURE  64. 
State  Coll.,  No.  287.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2340. 

Area  tenuis,  MONTAGU  ;  Test.  Brit.%  SuppL,  56,  pi.  29,  f.  1.    PENNANT  ;  Brit.  Zoo/., 

iv.  218.    DILLWYN;  Catal.,246.    TURTON  ;  Conch.  Diet.,  11. 
Nucula  tenuis,  TURTON;    Brit.  Biv.,  177.     FLEMING;  Brit.  Anim.,  402. 

L  '•'. •  < '.  '•* 

This  shell  is  very  similar  to  the  preceding,  and  would  not  at 
once  be  distinguished  from  it.  The  following  are  some  of  the 
essential  differences.  The  posterior  margin,  instead  of  running 
straight  to  the  posterior  tip^  runs  about  half  the  distance  parallel 
with  the  base,  then  forms  an  angle, 'and,  by  a  broadly  rounded 
curve,  joins  the  curve  of  the  base  ;  the  tip  is,  therefore,  not 
pointed  as  in  N.  proxima,  and  the  angle  of  this  side  gives  the  shell 
a  four-sided,  instead  of  a  triangular  figure,  the  greatest  height  be- 
ing somewhat  behind  the  beaks  ;  beaks  prominent,  curved  for- 
wards, and  having  a  deep  pit  before  them,  not  found  in  the  other 
species  ;  anterior  margin  forming  as  much  as  a  right  angle  with  the 
posterior  ;  while  in  N.  proxima  we  have  rather  less  than  a  right 
angle.  The  surface  is  smooth,  glossy,  grass-green,  without  any 
radiating  lines.  Interior  a  silvery-white,  but  not  pearly  like  the 
other.  The  teeth  are  very  long  and  slender,  scarcely  if  at  all 
folded,  and  only  about  eight  behind  and  four  or  five  before  the 
beaks.  The  interior  margin  is  always  simple,  but  never  so  in  the 
smallest  specimens  of  N.  proxima.  The  shell  is  very  thin,  and 
its  breadth  very  small.  Length  -^  inch,  height  £  inch,  breadth 
•/-g  inch. 

Found  in  the  stomachs  of  fishes,  but  much  more  sparingly  than 
the  preceding. 

This  shell,  as  far  as  I  can  recollect,  is  the  one  in  the  collection  of  the 
Academy  of  Natural  Sciences  at  Philadelphia,  marked  "  N.  lucida, 
BLANDING."  It  corresponds  precisely  with  a  specimen  of  Nucula 
tenuis  sent  me  by  Mr.  Sowerby,  and  it  is  his  opinion  that  they  are. 
identical. 

14 


106    INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 
FAMILY  NAIADES,  LAM. 

Shells  flwoiatile ;  hinge  having  a  simple  or  divided,  furrowed,  cardinal  tooth, 
with  or  without  a  lateral  tooth  extending  along  the  margin ;  and  sometimes 
destitute  of  teeth ;  muscular  impressions  compound. 

The  shells  embraced  in  this  family  are  familiarly  known  by  the 
names  of  fresh-water  clams  or  mussels.  They  inhabit  most  if  not 
all  of  our  collections  of  fresh  water,  whether  still  or  of  rapid  flow. 
Their  aspect  is  peculiar,  and  there  is  such  a  stamp  of  identity 
upon  them  as  forbids  their  being  confounded  with  any  other  family 
of  shells.  Exteriorly,  they  seldom  present  any  thing  very  attrac- 
tive ;  but  no  one  can  fail  to  admire  the  beautifully  tinted  pearl  of 
their  interior.  The  few  species  inhabiting  New  England  are 
simple  and  unpretending  in  their  appearance  ;  but  our  Western 
waters  furnish  species  infinite  in  the  variety  of  their  shapes,  colors, 
and  marking  ;  and  no  shells  are  more  eagerly  sought  for  by  for- 
eign collectors  than  the  American  Naiades. 

The  teeth,  when  they  exist,  are  strong,  pyramidal,  or  com- 
pressed, and  appear  as  if  they  had  been  abruptly  fractured  at  their 
tips.  The  beaks  of  mature  shells  are  almost  always  found  to  be 
eroded,  either  by  the  gravel  or  other  substances  which  are 
washed  over  them,  or  by  some  chemical  process.  The  foot  of  the 
animal  is  tongue-shaped,  and  serves  to  perform  no  inconsiderable 
journeys,  In  quiet  water,  where  there  is  a  layer  of  mud  at  the 
bottom,  the  furrows,  traced  by  dragging  the  shell  along  on  its 
sharp  edge,  are  readily  seen. 

All  the  species  are  capable  of  producing  pearls  ;  and  occasion- 
ally some  of  no  inconsiderable  beauty  and  value  are  found.  Old 
and  deformed  shells  are  most  likely  to  contain  them  ;  and  in  fact 
they  seem  to  be  the  products  of  injury  or  disease. 

The  animal,  in  all  the  genera  included  in  this  family,  seems  to 
have  the  same  organization  ;  and  the  teeth,  on  the  arrangement  of 
which  the  genera  are  founded,  are  observed  to  dwindle  from  their 
greatest  number  and  fullest  developernent  in  such  a  continued 
series,  until  they  wholly  vanish,  as  to  lead  to  the  belief  that  all 
the  Naiades  might  be  reduced  to  a  single  genus. 


NAIADES.  MOLLUSC  A.  UNIO.        107 


GENUS     NIO,  BRUG. 

Shell  equivalve,  inequilateral;  hinge  with  a  stout,  irregular, 
striated,  simple  or  divided  cardinal  tooth,  in  each  valve,  and  an 
elongated,  compressed,  lateral  tooth  extending  along  the  margin. 

UNIO  COMPLANA'TUS. 

Shell  transversely  ovate,  somewhat  angular  posteriorly,  inequi- 
lateral ;  beaks  not  much  elevated  ,  epidermis  dark-brown  ;  interior 
purple  or  salmon-colored  ;  hinge  teeth  deeply  striated,  pyramidal. 

FIGURES  68,  69,  70. 
State  Coll.,  No.  176.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2150. 

Mya  complanata,  SOLANDER;  Mss.,  Portland  CataL,  100.    DILLWYN  ;  CataL,  I. 

51. 

IPnio  purpureus,  SAY  ;  Nich.  Encyc.  (Amer.  ed.,}  iv.  3,  f.  1.  (  DESHAYES  ;  Encyc. 

M&tk.,  Vers,  ii.  581,  pi.  249,  f.  5.    BARNES  ;  Sillimaris  Journ.,  vi.  216. 
ITnio  purpurascens,  LAM.,  An.  sans  Vert.,  vi.  535. 
Uynio  violaceus,  SPENGLER. 
U^nio  rarisulckta,  coarctata,  rhombula,  carinifera,  Georgina,  glabrkta  and  sulci- 

dens  of  LAM.  ;  (An.  sans.  Vert.,  vi.)  on  the  authority  of  Lea. 
U^nio  fluviatilis,  GREEN.  •'*:<*.'£. 

U^nio  complanatus,  LEA;   Naiades,  30.     Trans.  Amer.  Phil.  Soc.,  (New  Series,) 

Hi.  416,  vi.  130,  not  of  DESHAYES. 

Shell  very  variable  in  form,  usually  oblong-ovate,  sometimes 
sub-rhomboidal  or  sub-oval,  very  inequilateral,  broadest  behind, 
rather  compressed.  Beaks  about  the  anterior  fourth  of  the  shell, 
little  elevated,  always  much  eroded,  and  exhibiting  numerous 
layers  of  greenish  epidermal  matter;  anterior  extremity  always 
regularly  rounded  ;  superior  margin,  behind  the  beaks,  straight  and 
somewhat  ascending  for  one  half  its  length,  then,  suddenly  declin- 
ing, it  forms  an  indefinite  angle  ;  posterior  end  pointed,  rounded  or 
slightly  clipped  ;  inferior  margin  regularly  curved,  or  sometimes  a 
little  arched  at  the  middle  ;  an  obtuse  ridge  passes  from  the  beaks 
to  the  posterior  tip.  Surface  coarsely  wrinkled  by  the  lines  of 
growth,  and  covered  by  a  dark,  tar-colored,  or  very  dark-green 
epidermis.  Interior  usually  of  a  beautiful  dark  peach-blps§om 
color,  and  passes  from  this  through  salmon-color  to  mother-of- 


108    INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

pearl  tinged  violet.  Hinge  having  a  single,  erect,  pyramidal, 
coarsely  striated  cardinal  tooth  in  the  right  valve,  with  the  vestige 
of  a  tooth  before,  and  a  pit  behind  it  ;  on  the  left  valve  are  two 
nearly  equal  teeth  of  a  triangular,  pyramidal  form,  the  space  be- 
tween them  corresponding  to  the  opposite  tooth  ;  lateral  teeth 
compressed,  long,  very  slightly  curved.  Ordinary  length  3^  in- 
ches, height  2  inches,  breadth  1  inch. 

This  is  the  most  common  fresh-water  mussel  we  have.  It  is 
found  in  every  considerable  brook  or  collection  of  water  emptying 
into  the  Atlantic  ;  and  it  is  said  never  to  be  found  in  any  of  the 
streams  beyond  the  Atlantic  slope. 

It  is  perhaps  the  most  variable  of  all  species,  as  we  may  judge  by 
noticing  the  numerous  species,  which,  according  to  Mr.  Lea,  Lamarck 
made  of  its  varieties.  And  it  is  to  be  feared  that  Mr.  Lea  himself  has 
not  entirely  avoided  this  error.  Certain  it  is,  that  shells  answering 
well  to  his  Roanokensis,  jejunus,  and  some  others,  are  not  seldom  found 
in  Massachusetts,  among  the  indisputable  complanatus. 

The  shell  is  always  rounded  before,  somewhat  widened  and  angular 
behind,  and  slightly  truncated  at  tip,  especially  if  viewed  inside.  Nor 
is  it  ever  much  inflated.  Its  true  form  is  transversely  oblong-oval ; 
but  it  is  often  nearly  oval,  and  sometimes  is  much  curved,  In  one  speci- 
men before  me,  the  height  is  five  eighths  of  the  length,  and  in  another  it 
is  only  two  fifths.  In  this  latter,  the  breadth  is  one  fourth  of  the  length, 
while,  in  a  third,  it  is  nearly  one  half.  The  epidermis  is  usually  coarsely 
wrinkled,  without  lustre,  and  of  a  pitchy-black  color;  but  I  have 
a  series  of  a  strongly  marked  variety  from  the  Shawsheen  river  in 
Andover,  where  the  color  is  dark-chestnut  with  considerable  lustre, 
the  young  shells  are  radiated  with  dark  lines  almost  as  much  as  U. 
radiatus,  and  some  of  the^old  shells  are  very  coarsely  plaited,  from  the 
beaks  downwards,  into  parallel  folds. 

The  only  New  England  species  with  which  this  is  liable  to  be  con- 
founded are,  U.  nasutus  and  U.  radiatus.  The  first  differs,  exter- 
nally, in  its  more  smooth,  greenish,  and  somewhat  radiated  epidermis ; 
the  angular  ridge  running  from  the  beaks  backwards,  produced  by  the 
strong  compression  of  the  hinge  margin  ;  and  by  a  contraction  of  the 
basal  margin,  near  its  posterior  termination,  so  as  to  form  a  sort  of 
beak  ;  and  internally  by  the  silvery,  iridescent  nacre,  and  the  slender, 
very  oblique  cardinal  teeth,  U.  radiatus  has  the  hinge  very  nearly 
the  same  as  U.  complanatus ;  but  the  nacre  is  white,  or  somewhat 


NAIADES.  MOLLUSCA.  UNIO.          109 

livid,  the  shell  never  becomes  so  large,  is  more  regularly  convex ;  the 
epidermis  is  nearly  smooth,  shining  and  yellowish-green,  with  conspicu- 
ous rays  of  olive  color. 

UNIO  NASUTUS. 

Shell  transversely  oblong-lanceolate,  hinge  margin  compressed, 
anteriorly  rounded,  posteriorly  somewhat  beaked ;  epidermis  dusky - 
green,  obscurely  rayed  :  cardinal  teeth  compressed,  oblique ;  nacre 
very  bright,  bluish-white,  iridescent. 

FIGURE   71. 

State  Coll.,  No.  178.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2158. 

Unio  nasutus,  SAY;  Nich.  Encyc.,  (Jim.  ed.)  iv.  pi.  4,  f.  1.  CONRAD  ;  Unionida. 
Mya  nasuta,  WOOD  ;  Index,  SuppL,  pi.  1,  f.  4. 

Unio  rostratus,  VALENC.  ;   Recueil  d'Obs.  de  Zool.,  fyc.,  par  Humb.  et  Bonpl'r  ii. 
233.  pi.  53,  f.  3.    LISTER  ;  Conch.,  1. 151 ,  f.  6. 

Shell  slender,  oblong-lanceolate,  very  inequilateral  ;  beaks, 
small,  pointed,  and  slightly  elevated  ;  hinge  margin  straight  to 
more  than  half  the  distance  from  the  beaks  to  the  posterior  end, 
when  it  suddenly  declines  and  continues  straight  to  the  point ; 
lower  margin  nearly  parallel  with  the  upper,  though  somewhat 
rounded  at  the  middle,  and  towards  the  end  turns  rapidly  upward 
towards  the  point,  which  is  considerably  produced,  so  as  to  form 
a  sort  of  snout.  An  angular  ridge  passes  backwards  from  the 
beaks  to  the  tip,  above  which  the  shell  is  very  much  compressed  ; 
two  or  more  radiating  furrows  are  usually  seen  traversing  this  por- 
tion. Surface  rather  smooth,  not  much  wrinkled  by  the  lines  of 
growth.  Epidermis  somewhat  glossy,  of  a  dark  olive-green 
color,  which  in  old  shells  becomes  quite  dusky,  with  darker  and 
lighter  zones  alternating,  and  delicate,  rather  obscure  rays  of 
dusky.  Within,  silvery  white,  iridescent,  and  oftentimes  with 
shades  of  bluish  or  salmon-color.  Hinge  with  the  cardinal  teeth 
rather  delicate,  compressed,  and  directed  obliquely  forwards,  so 
as  to  look  to  the  middle  of  the  front.  Cavity  of  the  beaks  small. 
Length  3  inches,  height  1J  inch,  breadth  f  inch. 

This  species  is  rather  rare.  I  have  found  it  in  Fresh  Pond, 
Cambridge,  and  have  received  it  from  the  ponds  in  Plymouth. 


110  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

Mr.  T.  J.  Whittemore  found  several  good  specimens  in  the  Mid- 
dlesex Canal,  not  far  from  Charlestown.  It  is  more  common 
in  the  Middle  States. 

It  is  not  difficult  to  distinguish  this  from  any  of  the  species  found  in 
Massachusetts.  The  prolongation  of  the  posterior  extremity,  which  is 
made  more  conspicuous  by  a  contraction  of  the  basal  margin  just  be- 
fore the  tip,  and  its  compressed  and  oblique  teeth,  are  well  marked 
characteristics.  But  it  is  not  so  easy  to  distinguish  smaller  specimens  of 
this,  from  those  of  U.  recttis  and  U.  gibbosus,  as  the  general  form  is  the 
same,  and  the  prolongation  of  the  tip  in  them  is  not  very  remarkable. 


UNIO    RADIATUS. 

,  Shell  transversely  oblong-ovate,  broadest  and  angular  behind, 
inequilateral;  epidermis  ivrinkled^  brownish-olive,  zoned  and 
rayed  with  dusJcy-green ;  within  bluish- white ;  cardinal  teeth 
strong,  erect,  pyramidal. 

FIGURE  73. 

State  Coll.,  No.  175.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2145. 

Mya  radikta,    GMELIN  ;    Syst.,  3220.     DJLLWYN;     CataL,  i.   51.      WOOD;   Gen. 

Conch.,  109. 

IPnio  radiata,  LAM.  ;  An.  sans  Vert.,  vi.  535.    DESK.  ;  Encyc.  M6th.;  Fers,  ii.  581. 
ITnio   radiatus,   BARNES;    Silliman's    Journ.,   vi.  265,  (young  cariosus.)     HIL- 

DRETH  ;  Silliman's  Journ.,  xiv.     LEA;  Trans,  timer.  Phil.  Soc.,  iii.  415,  vi. 

127,  pi.  15,  f.  48,  49.  (animal.)     Synops.  Naiad.,  25.     CONRAD;   Unionida-^, 

pi.  10,  f.  2. 

UJnio  Virginiiina,  LAM.;  J3n.  sans  Vert.,  vi.  544. 
My  a  oblongata,  WOOD  ;  SuppL,  pi.  v,  f.  2. 

Shell  oblong  ovate,  broadest  and  angular  behind,  beaks  near 
the  front,  little  elevated  ;  epidermis  loosely  and  delicately  wrin- 
kled concentrically,  olivaceous,  with  numerous  rays  of  dusky- 
green  ;  sometimes  the  wrinkles  are  also  disposed  in  a  radiated 
manner.  Hinge  margin  a  little  angular  at  the  beaks  ;  anterior 
extremity  narrow,  about  one  fourth  the  length  of  the  shell,  regu- 
larly rounded,  but  the  hinge  margin  turns  downwards  with  a  very 
abrupt  curve  ;  posterior  side  angular  above,  rounded  at  tip  ;  hinge 
margin  very  little  compressed  ;  basal  margin  regularly  curved. 
Interior  white,  iridescent  posteriorly,  with  sometimes  bluish  or 


NAIADES.  MOLLUSC  A.  UNIO.          Ill 

flesh-colored  tints.  Cardinal  teeth  erect,  triangular,  pyramidal, 
strengthened  by  a  stout  rib  behind  the  anterior  muscular  impres- 
sion. Length  3  inches,  height  1T77  inch,  breadth  1|  inch. 

This  is  one  of  our  common  species,  and  is  to  be  found  in  most 
of  the  large  streams  and  ponds.  It  is  also  one  of  the  shells  con- 
fined to  the  eastern  slope  of  the  range  of  Alleghanies. 

It  exhibits  but  little  variation  in  form,  except  the  usual  x  one,  that 
those  inhabited  by  the  female  are  broader  behind  than  those  inhabited 
by  the  male. 

No  species  is  now  better  established  than  the  one  above  described, 
though  there  is  good  reason  to  believe  that  the  U.  radiatus  of  Barnes, 
Dillwyn,  Wood,  and  perhaps  Say,  was  the  young  of  either  U.  carlbsus 
or  U.  ochraceus,  or  both.  It  is  most  likely  to  be  confounded  with  U. 
siliquoideus ;  but  that  shell  has  the  epidermis  lighter  colored,  very 
closely  adhering,  and  perfectly  smooth  and  glossy ;  the  teeth  also  are 
more  compressed  and  more  objique.  Mr.  Barnes  observes  of  it  that, 
"  amidst  a  variety  almost  infinite,  like  that  of  the  human  countenance, 
there  is  still  a  characteristic  identity  of  this  species,  which  can  scarcely 
be  mistaken  by  an  experienced  observer.  One  variety  of  radiatus 
approaches  nearest  to  this  species,  but  the  least  appearance  of  rays 
forbids  its  association."  This  last  remark  is  far  from  being  just. 


UNIO    CARIOSUS. 

Shell  ovate,  inflated,  not  very  thick,  inequilateral,  beaks  rather 
prominent ;  epidermis  yellowish-olive,  usually  radiated  with  dark- 
green  ;  within  usually  bluish-white  ;  teeth  compressed,  oblique. 

FIGURE,   72. 
State  Coll.,  No.  179.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2354. 

tTnio  cariosus,  SAY  ;  JYV'cA.  Encyc.  (Amer.  ed.)  iv.  pi.  3,  f.  2.  BARNES  ;  Silli- 
mansJourn.,v\.  271.  LEA  ;  Trans.  Amer*  Phil.  Soc.,  (New  Series,)  vi.  126,  pi. 
15,  f.  45.  (animal).  Synops.  Naiad.,  23. 

IPnio  cariosa,  LAM  ;  An.  sans  Vert.,  vi.  545. 

ITnio  ovata,  VALENC.  ;  Recueil  d'Obs.  de  Zool.  par  Humb.  et  Bonpl.,  ii.  226,  pi. 
50,  f.  1. 

Uynio  cariosus,  CONRAD  ;    Unionidce,  40,  pi.  19. 

Musculus  latior  subfuscus,  coeruleis  lineis  radiatus,  LISTER  ;  Conch.,  152,  f.  7. 

Shell  very  variable  in  form,  ovate,  or  rounded,  moderately 


112   INVERTEBRATA   OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

thick,  inflated  ;  beaks  placed  at  the  anterior  third,  rather  promi- 
nent, usually  very  much  eroded  ;  hinge  margin  straight,  ascending 
from  before  backwards  ;  anterior  end  narrow,  regularly  rounded  ; 
posterior  end  regularly  curved  above  and  below,  and  in  the  male 
terminating  in  a  distinct  angle,  but  in  the  female  very  broadly 
rounded ;  a  sharp  ridge  usually  passes  from  the  beaks  towards  the 
posterior  tip.  Surface  considerably  undulated  by  the  lines  of 
growth  ;  epidermis  smooth,  shining,  and  sometimes  with  rays  of 
minute  wrinkles  ;  color  dull  greenish-yellow  or  light  olive,  usually 
with  rays  of  bright,  dark-green,  especially  along  the  upper  poste- 
rior margin.  Interior  bluish-white,  with  sometimes  a  flesh-colored 
tint.  Cardinal  teeth  compressed  and  oblique  ;  lateral  tooth  rather 
short ;  cavity  of  the  beaks  rather  large.  Length  3  inches,  height 
of  male  If  inch,  of  female  2£  inches,  breadth  1J  inch. 

Found  in  the  Connecticut  river  and  its  tributaries,  and  in  ponds 
in  Plymouth  County. 

It  is  very  difficult  to  fix  upon  characters  which  shall  indicate  this 
shell,  its  variation  in  shape  is  so  great.  When  young,  it  is  thin  and 
beautifully  radiated,  and  not  easily  distinguished  lfrom  the  young  of 
U.  ochrdceus  ;  and  at  maturity,  no  species  presents  a  greater  contrast 
between  the  male  and  female  than  this.  As  found  in  this  region  it  is 
quite  thin,  and  radiated  only  along  the  posterior  margin;  but  in  the 
waters  south  of  New  England,  it  becomes  larger  and  more  solid. 


UNIO    OCHRACEUS. 

Shell  oblong,  sub-ovate,  inflated,  thin,  inequilateral  angular 
behind ;  epidermis  loosely  wrinkled  posteriorly,  yellowish-green, 
finely  radiated  with  olive;  cardinal  teeth  compressed,  nearly 
parallel  with  the  margin  ;  within  salmon  or  rose-colored. 

FIGURE  74. 
State  Coll.,  No.  174.     Soc.  Cab.,  2203. 

Unio  ochraceus,  SAY  ;  Nich.  Encyc.  (Jlmer.  ed.}  iv.  pi.  2,  f.  8.    LEA  ;  Trans.  Amer. 

Phil.  Soc.,  (New  Series,)  vi.  126.  pi.  15,  f.  44.  (animal).    Synops.    Naiad.,  23. 

CONRAD;   Unionidce,  37,  pi.  17,  f.  2. 
Symphynota  ochracea,  LEA  ;  Trans  dmer.  Phil,  Soc.,  (New  Series,)  iii.  69. 


NAIADES.  MOLLUSCA.  ALASMODON.          113 

Shell  transversely  oblong,  sub-ovate,  thin,  translucent,  very 
much  inflated  ;  beaks  more  than  one  third  from  the  front,  ele- 
vated, inclined  forwards  and  touching  at  the  points  ;  hinge  margin 
straight,  ending  in  an  angle  both  anteriorly  and  posteriorly  ;  an- 
terior end  narrowest,  compressed,  especially  above,  rounded,  and 
widely  gaping  ;  posterior  end  having  its  point  angular  in  conse- 
quence of  a  sharply  angular  ridge  which  passes  from  the  beaks 
and  terminates  there,  and  encloses  a  broad,  depressed  space,  with 
the  margins  compressed  into  a  keel ;  base  regularly  rounded. 
Surface  tolerably  regular  ;  epidermis  lying  in  fine  loose  folds 
about  the  posterior  end,  color  olivaceous,  rather  yellowish  in 
shells  of  the  ordinary  size,  and  finely  radiated  and  zoned  with 
dark-olive  over  every  part  of  the  shell.  Interior  a  very  delicate 
rose-color,  or,  deep  salmon-color,  tinted  with  rose-red.  Cardinal 
teeth  compressed,  striated,  directed  forwards,  and  nearly  parallel 
with  the  hinge  margin  ;  lateral  teeth  short ;  cavity  of  the  beaks 
capacious.  Length  2£  inches,  height  2  inches,  breadth  1 J-  inch. 

Some  specimens  are  found  much  larger.  I  have  one,  from 
Pennsylvania,  which  measures  4  ;  2|  ;  If.  Such  shells  become 
much  thickened  and  proportionally  elongated  posteriorly  ;  they  lose 
the  radiations  of  the  epidermis,  which  is  of  a  dark  olive-color.  I 
do  not  know  that  any  such  shells  have  been  found  in  Massa- 
chusetts. 

This  shell  is  very  rare,  and  I  do  not  know  of  its  having  been 
found  anywhere  except  in  the  Plymouth  ponds.  When  young,  it  is 
scarcely  to  be  distinguished  from  U.  caricsus  ;  but  it  is  more  in- 
flated, and  the  radiations  of  the  epidermis  are  finer,  and  cover 
more  of  the  shell ;  it  is  not  so  glossy,  and  its  interior  is  more 
colored. 


GENUS  ALASMODON,  SAY. 

Shell  transverse,  inequilateral ;   hinge  like  that  of  U'nio,  ex- 
cept that  it  is  destitute  of  a  lateral  tooth. 

ALA'SMODON  ARCUATA. 

Shell  more    or   less  kidney-shaped,  very  inequilateral,   thick, 
15 


114  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

beaks  not  prominent;    epidermis    pitchy -black ;    within  bluish- 
white  ;  teeth  erect,  conical,  grooved. 

FIGURE  75. 

State.Coll.,  No.  172.     Soc.  Cab.,  No/2175. 

Alasmodonta  arcuata,  BARNES  ;  Silliman'sJourn.,  vi.  277,  pi.  12,  f.  20. 

Mya  margaritifera  ?   LIN.  ;   DILLWYN  ;  WOOD  ;  &c. 

Margaritana  margaritifera,  LEA;  Trans  Amer.  Philos.  Soc.,  vi.  135. 

Shell  transversely  much  elongated,  ovate  or  kidney-shaped, 
thick  and  strong ;  beaks  within  the  anterior  fourth,  scarcely  rising 
above  the  line  of  the  hinge,  very  much  eroded  ;  hinge  and  basal 
margins  usually  curved,  nearly  parallel  ;  nearly  as  broad  before  as 
behind  the  hinge,  and  rounded  ;  more  pointed  behind,  and  the  tip 
appears  as  if  slightly  truncated  ;  surface  somewhat  waved  by  the 
lines  of  growth  ;  epidermis  close  and  smooth  upon  the  disk, 
loosely  wrinkled  towards  the  margin  and  posteriorly,  color  pitchy- 
black.  Within  smooth,  bluish-white,  and  sometimes  tinted  flesh- 
color  at  the  centre  ;  nacre  not  extending  to  the  margin,  leaving  a 
greenish  border.  Cardinal  teeth  two  in  the  left  valve,  erect,  strong, 
pyramidal,  the  posterior  one  deeply  grooved  in  front,  so  as  to 
form  four  or  five  denticles  along  its  edge  ;  one  on  the  right  valve, 
long,  erect,  a  little  twisted,  deeply  grooved  along  its  front,  and 
with  a  pit  each  side,  at  base;  cavity  of  the 'beaks  shallow. 
Length  4^  inches,  height  2  inches,  breadth  1^  inch. 

Found  in  most  running  streams  in  the  interior ;  I  have  never 
found  it  near  the  sea-board. 

It  is  a  very  common  shell,  and  is  at  once  known  by  its  curved  form, 
dark  color,  and  the  want  of  a  lateral  tooth.  It  is  the  largest  fresh- 
water mussel  we  have. 

Mr.  Lea  regards  our  shell  as  identical  with  the  European  Mya  mar- 
garitifera of  the  older  authors,  the  ITnio  elongata  of  Lamarck,  &c  ; 
but  the  shells  which  I  have  had  an  opportunity  of  examining  present 
some  constant  differences.  The  foreign  shell  is  shorter,  the  beaks 
more  nearly  central  and  more  elevated,  and  the  portion  of  the  in- 
terior, within  the  palleal  impression,  is  minutely  granulated  ;  and,  as 
my  foreign  specimens  agree  accurately  with  the  figures  of  Chemnitz 
and  Turton,  I  am  induced  to  think  there  may  be  a  constant  difference. 
The  intervention  of  an  ocean  would  strengthen  the  supposition.  I 


NAIADES.  MOLLUSCA.  ALASMODON.       115 

have,  therefore,  felt  disposed  to  retain  the  very  appropriate  name  of 
Barnes,  until  more  fully  satisfied.  The  European  shell  is  the  famous 
river  pearl-mussel,  in  which  pearls  of  considerable  beauty  are  occa- 
sionally found.  But,  as  far  as  I  have  observed,  they  are  not  oftener 
found  in  our  Alasmodon  than  in  other  species  of  fresh-water  mus- 
sels. 


ALA'SMODON  UNDULAVTA. 

Shell  transversely-ovate,  inequilateral,  angular  behind;  beaks 
tumid,  elevated,  undulated;  epidermis  dark-green,  obscurely 
rayed  ;  one  cardinal  tooth  in  each  valve,  supported  by  a  strong 
internal  rib. 

FIGURE  76. 
State  Coll.,  No.  177.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2174. 

IPnio  undulata,  SAY ;  Nicholson's  Encyc.,  (Amer.  ed.),  iv.  pi.  3,  f.  3. 

Alasmodonta  undulata,  BARNES;  Sillimnn's  Journ.,  vi.  279. 

Mya  undulala,  WOOD  ;  Suppl.,  pi.  1,  f.  5. 

Margaritana  undulata,  LEA;   Trans.  Amer.  Philos.  Soc.,  (New  Series,)  vi.  135. 

Synops.  Naiad.,  44. 
IPnio  hians,  VALENC.  ;  Recueild'Obs.  de  ZooL,  par  Humb.  et  BonpL  ii.  235,  pi. 

54,  f.  2. 
Alasmodon  undulata,  SWAINSON;  Lardner's   Cab.  Cyclop.,  cxxiii.  288,  f.  61. 

Shell  transversely-ovate,  strong,  much  inflated,  widely  gaping  ; 
beaks  at  the  anterior  third,  very  prominent,  tumid,  with  three  or 
four  large,  concentric,  oblique  undulations  upon  them  ;  anterior 
and  basal  margins  broadly  and  regularly  curved,  with  a  very 
slightly  lobed  appearance  in  front  of  the  beaks ;  posterior  margin 
angular  behind  the  ligament,  and  pointed  at  tip,  rapidly  narrowed  ; 
ligamentary  area  imperfectly  marked  by  an  ill-defined  ridge, 
which  is  usually  wrinkled  in  the  direction  of  its  course ;  margin 
compressed.  Surface  a  good  deal  undulated  by  the  stages  of 
growth  ;  epidermis  shining,  of  a  dark  olive-color,  everywhere 
rayed  with  fine  lines,  alternately  yellowish  and  dark,  which  are 
not  very  conspicuous  unless  held  up  to  transmitted  light.  Within, 
the  anterior  half  is  thickened,  opaque,  and  the  color  white ;  the 
posterior  half  is  translucent,  thin,  of  a  silvery  lustre,  exhibiting 
the  exterior  radiations.  Hinge  supported  on  a  very  strong  rib, 


116  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

tooth  of  the  right  valve  erect,  conical,  striated  above  ;  tooth  of 
the  left  valve  erect,  produced  backwards  in  a  triangular  manner, 
under  the  ligament,  with  a  pit  in  front  of  it ;  cavity  of  the  beaks 
very  deep  and  capacious.  Length  2  inches,  height  If  inch, 
breadth  1  inch. 

Found  in  Blackstone  River  and  its  tributaries,  and  in  Plymouth 
county. 

It  is  easify  known  by  its  short,  tumid  appearance,  the  undulations 
on  the  beaks,  and  the  peculiar  hinge. 

ALASMODON  MARGINA'TA. 

Shell  transversely-ovate,  wedge-shaped ,  inequilateral  ;  beaks 
prominent  ;  surface  obliquely  wrinkled  posteriorly ;  epidermis 
olivaceous,  imperfectly  radiated  with  dark  green  ;  tooth  small, 
compressed,  looking  forwards ;  nacre  bluish-white,  with  a  chalky- 
white  margin. 

FIGURE  77. 
State  Coll.,  No.  173.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2171. 

Alasmodonta  marginata,  SAY  ;  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.>  i.  459.    BARNES  ;  Silliman's 

Journ.,  vi.  279. 

Unio  varicosa,  LAM.  ;  An.  sans  Vert.,  vi.  543. 
Alasmodonta  truncata  ?  SAY. 

Margaritana  marginata,  LEA  ;   Trans.  Amcr.  Philos.  Soc.,  (New  Series,)  vi.  135. 
Mya  rugulosa,  WOOD  ;  Index,  Suppl.,  p!.  1,  f.  7. 

Shell  ovate,  thin,  widely  gaping  behind,  wedge-shaped  from 
before  backwards  ;  beaks  at  the  anterior  third,  rather  small,  but 
elevated,  and  having  three  or  four  small  undulations  ;  anteriorly 
low  and  rounded,  but  increases  rapidly  in  height  ;  the  posterior 
hinge  margin  suddenly  declines  to  form  a  rounded  tip  ;  ridge  from 
the  beaks  elevated  and  well  defined,  above  which  the  shell  exhibits 
coarse,  rounded  wrinkles,  running  obliquely  upwards  and  out- 
wards ;  epidermis  shining,  olive-green,  somewhat  mottled  with 
dark  and  light  shades,  and  with  obscure,  broken,  radiating  lines  ; 
within  bluish-white,  with  shades  of  green,  the  margin  chalky- 
white.  Hinge  delicate,  the  teeth,  one  in  each  valve,  small,  com- 
pressed, directed  along  the  hinge  margin  so  as  almost  to  coincide 
with  it ;  sometimes  the  teeth  are  only  rudimentary  ;  cavity  of  the 


NAIADES.  MOLLUSCA.  ANODON.  117 

beaks  rather  deep,  not  very  capacious.     Length  2  inches,  greatest 
height  1TV  inch,  breadth  -fa  inch. 

Found  in  the  Blackstone  River  and  its  tributaries,  and  in  Shaw- 
shin  River,  Andover.  I  have  also  received  very  beautiful  speci- 
mens from  a  pond  in  West  Brookfield. 

It  not  common,  and  may  be  readily  distinguished  from  our  other 
species  by  its  wedge-like  form,  when  seen  from  above,  by  the  remark- 
able series  of  oblique  wrinkles  along  the  posterior  slope,  and  by  its 
delicate  teeth,  which,  in  fact,  sometimes  wholly  disappear.  In  the 
character  of  its  wrinkles  it  is  much  like  A.  rugbsa.  It  is  more 
elongated  than  A.  undulata,  and  has  its  greatest  height  at  the  posterior 
termination  of  the  hinge,  instead  of  opposite  the  beaks,  as  in  that  shell. 

Mr.  Lea  regards  our  shell  as  being  the  same  as  the  western  shell 
named  A.  truncata  by  Say.  Some  of  our  specimens  approach 
them  very  closely,  but  ours  is  in  general  a  less  inflated,  less  angular 
shell. 


GENUS     NODON,  BRUG. 

Shell  transversely  elongated,  inequilateral,  thin  ;  hinge  toothless. 

i 
ANODON  FLUVIATILIS. 

Shell  thin,  inflated,  transversely  sub-oval,  hinge  margin 
straight,  crested  behind  ;  beaks  moderately  elevated,  epidermis  deep 
grass-green,  obscurely  rayed,  darker  above  the  posterior  ridge  ; 
within  white,  tinted  lilac. 

FIGURE  80. 
State  Coll.,  No.  171.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2181. 

Anodonta  cataracta,  SAY  ;  Nicholson's  Encyc.,  (Amer.  ed.),  iv.  pi.  3,  f.  4. 

My'tilus  fluviatilis,  DILLWYN  ;  Catal. 

Anodonta  fluviatilis,  LEA;    Trans.  Amer.  Phil.    Soc.,   (New  Series,)    vi.   138. 

Synops.  Naiad.,  51. 

My'tilus  illitus,  SOLANDER  ;  Portland  Catal.  ,  163. 
LISTER;  Conch.,  t.  157,  f.  12. 

Shell  transversely  sub-oval,  sub-cylindrical,  thin,  fragile,  in- 
flated ;  beaks  at  the  anterior  two  fifths  of  the  shell,  tumid,  some- 
what elevated,  and  minutely  undulated  at  tip.  Hinge  margin 
straight  ;  anterior  imperfectly  angular  above,  nearly  as  high  as  be- 


118   INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

/ 

hind  the  beaks  ;  upper  posterior  margin  forming  an  obtuse  angle 
at  the  termination  of  the  ligament,  and  declining  in  a  straight  line 
to  form  a  somewhat  produced,  blunted  point  ;  this  margin  is  com- 
pressed into  a  sort  of  crest ;  basal  margin  a  good  deal  curved  ; 
surface  undulated  somewhat  irregularly  by  the  lines  of  growth  ; 
epidermis  smooth  and  close  except  at  the  upper  and  posterior 
portion,  where  it  is  loosely  wrinkled  ;  a  few  radiating  series  of 
wrinkles  may  also  be  seen  ;  color  a  deep  grass-green,  becoming 
dusky  behind  and  above,  and  obscurely  radiated.  Nacre  silvery, 
or  tinged  with  bluish  or  yellowish,  margin  greenish  ;  cavity  of  the 
beaks  not  deep,  large  ;  hinge  edge  very  thin,  rounded,  scarcely 
curved.  Length  4|  inches,  height  2f  inches,  breadth  \\  inch. 

Inhabits  ponds  in  the  western  and  central  parts  of  this  State, 
and  is  seldom  found  in  any  other  part.  Professor  Adams,  however, 
assures  me  he  has  found  it  at  Falmouth,  and  I  have  collected  a 
few  specimens  from  clay-pits  near  Winter  Hill,  in  Charlestown. 

It  greatly  resembles  the  A.  cygnea  of  Europe,  and  is  chiefly  dis- 
tinguished by  the  latter  having  the  beaks  less  central,  and  not  at  all 
elevated.  From  the  next  species  the  most  obvious  distinctions  are, 
the  bright  green-color,  together  with  the  thinness  of  the  shell.  It  is 
very  difficult,  if  not  impossible,  to  draw  the  line  between  our  shell 
and  some  of  the  species  of  the  Western  waters.  They  seem,  most  of 

them,  to  be  mere  variations  in  size. 
/ 
ANODON  IMPLICA'TA. 

Shell  transversely-oblong,  sub -oval,  variable  in  proportions,  thick 
and  strong  ;  exterior  coarse  ;  epidermis  yellowish-olive  ;  nacre 
flesh-colored. 

FIGURE  78. 
State  Coll.,  No.  169.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2192. 

Anodonta  implicata,  SAY  ;  New  Harmony  Disseminator. 

Anodonta  Newtoniensis  ?  LEA  ;    Trans.  Amer.  Phil.  Soc.,  (New  Series,)  vi.  79, 

pi.  21,  f.  66. 
Anodonta  marginata?  SAY  ;  (young)  Nicholson's  Encyc.,  (Amtr.  cd.),iv.  pi.  3,  f.  5. 

Shell  transversely-oblong,  sub-oval,  almost  as  broad  as  high, 
sub-cylindrical,  thick,  opaque,  strong,  and  heavy  ;  beaks  removed 
about  two  fifths  the  length  of  the  shell  from  the  anterior  end, 
rather  elevated,  obtuse  ;  breadth  of  shell  greatest  behind  the 


NAIADES.  MOLLUSC  A.  ANODON.  119 

middle  ;  hinge  margin  a  little  curved,  forming  an  angle  at  both  its 
terminations  ;  the  backward  slope  from  this  angle  is  usually  a  little 
curved,  and  the  posterior  tip  is  rather  blunt  and  somewhat  trun- 
cated ;  the  ridge  from  the  beaks  to  this  tip  is  very  prominent, 
generally  bluntly  rounded,  but  sometimes  quite  abrupt  ;  the  space 
above  it  is  rough,  but  is  little  compressed,  except  in  young 
specimens  ;  three  or  four  coarse  lines  often  run  along  this  space 
in  the  direction  of  the  ridge  ;  basal  margin  very  gently  curved  in 
young  specimens,  nearly  parallel  with  the  hinge  margin  in  the 
middle-aged,  and  deeply  contracted  or  arched  in  old  shells.  Sur- 
face rough,  with  coarse  and  irregular  lines  of  growth  ;  epidermis 
yellowish-olive,  darker  above  and  behind,  and  with  dusky -brown 
zones  ;  young  shells  are  of  a  delicate  grass-green,  slightly  rayed. 
Interior  silvery  till  after  the  middle  age,  when  it  becomes  of  a 
delicate  flesh-color  or  salmon-color.  Length  4  inches,  height  2J 
inches,  breadth  1^  inch.  Of  another  specimen  4J  inches,  2-& 
inches,  lT9ir  inch  ;  of  another  3  inches,  lT6u  inch,  IjV  inch. 

Inhabits  ponds  in  Essex  and  Middlesex  counties,  and  is  also 
found  in  Maine  ;  whether  it  occurs  southward  or  not  is  un- 
certain. A  Pennsylvania  shell,  which  Mr.  Lea  describes  under 
the  name  of  A.  Newtoniensis,  is  so  much  like  some  varieties  of 
this  shell  as  to  render  it  probable  that  they  are  the  same,  and  that 
it  is  found  throughout  a  wide  southern  range. 

The  above  is  the  description  of  a  characteristic  specimen  of  a  shell 
which  probably  varies  more  in  its  form,  color,  and  weight,  than  any 
other  Anodon.  It  is  undoubtedly  the  A.  implicdta  of  Say,  for  it  ac- 
cords well  with  his  description,  and  was  received  from  a  region  where 
no  other  species  is  found.  In  their  younger  stages  it  is  difficult  to 
distinguish  them  from  A.  jluvidtilis  ;  but  the  great  thickening  near  the 
margin,  which  the  adult  undergoes,  and  its  light-yellowish  epidermis, 
render  them  entirely  dissimilar.  I  have  specimens  in  which  portions  of 
the  valves  are  three  tenths  of  an  inch  thick.  At  the  middle  age,  some 
specimens  so  much  resemble  very  old  ones  of  IT  mo  radiatus,  that  it  is 
impossible  to  name  them  without  examining  the  hinge.  In  the  young, 
the  beaks  are  delicately  undulated,  the  hinge  margin  is  compressed 
and  connate,  and  the  angle  at  its  posterior  termination  is  very  decided. 
Some  specimens,  of  a  middle  size,  lose  all  their  angles,  and  the  upper 
and  lower  margins  are  similarly  curved.  Some  have  a  dark  tar- 
colored  epidermis ;  these  are  generally  very  broad  in  proportion  to 
their  height. 


120    INVERTEBRATA   OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

/ 
ANODON  UNDULA'TA. 

Shell  transversely  ovate,  rather  thick ;  beaks  prominent,  epider- 
mis dark-brown,  radiated,  coarsely  wrinkled ;  hinge  margin  undu- 
lated, and  with  the  vestige  of  a  tooth. 

FIGURE  79. 
State  Coll.,  No.  170.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2191. 

Anodonta  undulkta,  SAY;  Nicholson's  Encyc.,  (Amer.  ed.),  iv.  pi.  3,  f.  6.     LEA  ; 

Synops.  Naiad.,  50. 
Anodon  rugosus,  SWAINSON;  Zool.  lilustr.,  pi.  96. 

Shell  oblong-ovate,  thick  and  strong  ;  beaks  sub-central, 
elevated,  the  points  in  contact,  and  when  not  eroded  they  exhibit 
four  or  five  small  undulations  upon  them  ;  before  them  is  a  spear- 
shaped  pit  or  areola,  not  covered  by  the  epidermis  ;  behind  them 
the  margin  is  slightly  compressed,  and  has  two  or  three  coarse, 
sub-marginal  furrows  ;  no  distinct  angle  at  the  termination  of  the 
ligament ;  posterior  end  somewhat  bluntly  rounded  ;  anterior  end 
compressed,  sharply  rounded  ;  basal  margin  regularly  curved  ; 
epidermis  dark-brown,  radiated  in  most  specimens,  smooth,  and 
closely  adhering  towards  the  beaks,  but  lying  in  numerous,  rather 
loose  folds  near  the  margin  ;  interior  inclined  to  salmon-color,  and 
granulated  centrally,  bluish-white  outside  of  the  palleal  impression, 
with  a  broad  margin  of  olive-color.  Hinge  margin  waved  under 
the  beaks,  compressed  on  the  right  valve  so  as  to  form  something 
like  an  elongated  cardinal  tooth,  which  is  received  into  a  corre- 
sponding recess  in  the  left  valve.  Length  3|  inches,  height  2 
inches,  breadth  1J  inch. 

Found  in  the  Blackstone  River  and  its  tributaries,  of  large  size 
and  great  perfection. 

It  is  impossible  to  be  certain  that  this  is  A.  undulata  of  Say,  on 
account  of  the  small  size  of  the  specimen  he  described ;  but  it  seems 
to  be  the  shell  which  Mr.  Lea  regards  as  such.  It  seems  to  be  a 
different  thing  from  the  shell  described  by  Hildreth  under  that  name. 
I  apprehend  that  it  is  the  same  as  A.  edentula,  Say,  and  A.  areoldtus, 
Swainson.  If  there  be  any  difference  among  them,  it  is,  that  our  shell 
is  less  compressed,  less  radiated,  and  less  fragile  than  A.  edentula. 
The  hinge  is  the  same,  and  the  areola  before  the  beaks  is  produced 
by  a  wave-like  digression  of  the  right  valve  to  form  a  peculiar  tooth. 
The  young  shells  are  thin,  and  much  more  radiated  than  the  old  ones, 


or 


MYTILACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  MYTILUS.  121 

and  the  size  of  adults  is  seldom  more  than  two  thirds  of  the  dimen- 
sions above  given.  It  is  one  of  the  connecting  links  between  ALAS- 
MODON  and  ANODON. 

FAMILY  MYTILACEA,  LAM. 

Hinge  ivith  the  ligament  marginal,  partly  included,  linear,  extending  along 
a  great  part  of  the  posterior  border.  Shell  rarely  foliated  ;  adheres  by  a 
byssus. 

GENUS  Mf  TILUS,  LIN. 

Shell  elongated,  sub-triangular  ;  beaks  terminal,  pointed, 
straight  ;  hinge  generally  toothless  ;  muscular  impression  elongated, 
club-shaped. 

MY'TILUS  EDULIS. 

Shell  ovate-triangular,  beaks  terminal  and  pointed,  basal  margin 
straight,  ligament  margin  straight  ;  posteriorly  widened  and  round- 
ed ;  hinge  with  a  few  denticulations  ;  epidermis  dark-bluish,  shell 
violet  beneath. 

FIGURE  82. 
State  Coll.,  No.  156.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1987. 

My'tilus  edulis,  LIN.;  Syst.  Nat.,  1157.     GMELIN  ;  Syst.,  3353.     TURTON;   LIN.  j 

iv.  291.     CHEMN.  ;  Conch.,  viii.  169,  t.  84,  f.  750.     PENNANT  j  Brit.  Zool,  iv. 

236,  t.  66,  f.  2.     MONTAGU  ;  Test.  Brit.,  159.     Lin.   Trans.,  vi.  t.  18,  f.  13,  14. 

DILLWYN  ;    CataL,  309.       TURTON  ;    Conch.   Diet.,   109.       Brit.  Biv.,    196. 

DESHAYES  ;  Encyc.  Meth.,  Vers,  ii.  562,  pi.  218,  f.  2.     KNORR;   Vergn.,  iv.  pi. 

15,  f.  4.    LAM.  ;  An.  sans  Vert.,  vii.  47.    GUALT.  ;  Test.,  t.  91  ,  f.  E.    DONOVAN  ; 

Brit.  Shells,  t.  128.     WOOD  ;  Index,  pi.  12,  f.  21.     FLEMING  ;  Brit.  Anim.,  411. 
My'tilus  vulgaris,  DA  COSTA  ;  Brit.  Conch.,  216,  1.  15,  f.  5. 
Musculus  subcseruleus  ;  LISTER  ;  Conch.,  t.  362,  f.  200. 
My'tilus  borealis,  LAM.;   An.  sans  Vert.,  vii.  46. 

Shell  triangular-ovate,  solid,  coarse,  shining  ;  beaks  pointed, 
placed  at  one  end,  and  slightly  diverging  ;  basal  or  anterior  margin 
generally  straight,  sometimes  slightly  convex,  and  sometimes  ex- 
cavated ;  hinge  margin  rising  in  a  straight  line  unites  with  the 
upper  or  posterior  margin  by  a  somewhat  abrupt  curve  ;  this  mar- 
gin takes  a  direction  parallel  to  the  base,  for  a  short  distance,  and 
then  the  two  unite  by  a  regular  curve  ;  an  abrupt  ridge  passes 
from  the  beaks  to  the  lower  and  hinder  angle,  above  which  the 
shell  gradually  slopes  to  a  sharp  edge,  and  below  which  it  bends 
so  abruptly  as  to  present  a  broad,  flattened  space,  in  the  centre  of 

16 


122    INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

which  is  a  slight  fissure  for  the  passage  of  a  byssus.  The  shell 
itself  is  of  a  violet-color  ;  the  epidermis  is  usually  of  a  dark, 
shining  blue-black.  Within,  the  shell  is  \vhite  and  silvery  in  the 
centre,  but  all  the  margin  is  a  dark-violet  or  blue-black.  Under 
the  beaks  are  about  four  thin,  oblique  denticulations,  quite  distinct 
when  the  overlapping  epidermis  is  removed.  Length  QTG  inches, 
height  ly3!?  inch,  breadth  1  inch. 

Variety  pellucidus.  Shell  smooth,  thin,  transparent,  radiated 
with  blue  and  horn-color  ;  beaks  with  two  or  three  teeth. 

My'tilus  pellucidus,  PENNANT  ;  Brit.  Zool,  iv.  237,  pi.  66,  f.  3.  MONTAGU  ;  Test. 
Brit. ,160.  MATON  and  RACKETT  ;  Lin  Trans.,  viii.  107.  DILLWYN;  Catal ., 
310.  TURTON  ;  Conch.  Diet.,  110.  Lin  Syst.,  iv.  292.  Brit.  Biv.,  197,  pi. 
15,  f.  1.  CHEMN.  ;  Conch  ,  viii.  84,  f.  751.  DONOVAN  ;  Brit.  Shells,  81.  WOOD  ; 
Index,  pi.  12,  f.  22. 

This  beautiful  variety  has  been  regarded  by  many  concholo- 
gists,  such  as  those  named  above,  as  a  distinct  species,  while 
others,  with  more  apparent  propriety,  consider  it  as  a  variety, 
depending  chiefly  on  age,  of  the  true  M.  edulis.  None  of  the 
specific  marks  given  to  it  seem  to  be  constant.  Radiations  ap- 
pear in  the  solid  old  shell,  as  well  as  in  the  thin  ones  ;  and,  on 
the  other  hand,  the  thin  ones  are  often  without  radiations.  Tur- 
ton  thinks  it  may  always  be  distinguished  "by  having  only  two  or 
three  tuburcular  teeth  under  the  beaks."  But  this  does  not  ac- 
cord with  my  observations. 

The  shell  is  subject  to  many  distortions  from  accident,  and  from  the 
form  of  the  bodies  on  which  it  grows,  or  of  cavities  in  which  it  be- 
comes wedged.  Hence,  probably,  arises  that  curved  form  which 
takes  the  name  of  M.  incurvatus. 

This  Mussel  is  one  of  the  most  common  and  best  known  of  all  our 
shells.  It  is  very  extensively  distributed  throughout  all  northern  seas. 
It  is  abundant  on  the  coasts  of  England,  France,  Norway,  and  Russia, 
where  it  is  extensively  used  as  food,  as  its  name  imports,  and  also  for 
manure.  In  this  country  it  has,  as  yet,  been  put  to  no  economical 
use,  though  I  am  assured  by  a  friend  of  acknowledged  good  taste,  that 
when  cooked  it  is  more  palatable  than  the  common  clam.  Unlike 
the  Modlola  modiolus,  it  appears  to  inhabit  shallow  waters,  in  positions 
where  it  is  left  uncovered  at  the  recess  of  the  tide.  It  attaches  itself 
by  its  byssus  to  rocks  and  timbers,  and  may  be  thus  seen  under 


MYTILACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  MODIOLA.  123 

bridges  and  other  submerged  structures,  in  shallow  inlets  with  a 
pebbly  bottom,  and  especially  on  rocks  not  far  from  high-water  mark, 
clinging  in  immense  crowds  of  all  sizes,  colors,  and  figures  ;  some 
beautifully  radiated,  some  dark  blue-black,  and  others  light  horn-color ; 
some  beautifully  smooth,  regular,  and  glistening,  others  distorted,  rough, 
and  dingy  ;  the  whole  surface  of  the  young  shell  is  beset  with  a  bristly 
beard.  While,  like  the  M.  plicatula,  it  clusters  about  the  shore,  it  does 
not,  like  that,  bury  itself  in  the  mud,  but  is  always  exposed  and  at- 
tached to  some  solid  body.  It  is  common  to  find  it  wedged  in  among 
the  rocks  and  crevices  of  such  shores  as  Nahant  and  Cape  Ann. 

GENUS  MODIOLA,   LAM. 

Shell  oblique,  wedge-shaped  ;  beaks  very  near  the  anterior  end  ; 
hinge  as  in  Mytilus  ;  impression  of  the  mantle  irregular. 

MODI' OLA    MODIOLUS. 

Shell  oblong-ovate,  gradually  widening  from  before  backwards  ; 
hinge  margin  ascending,  straight  for  about  half  the  length  of  the 
shell ;  beaks  tumid,  obtusely  angular ;  epidermis  dark  chestnut- 
color. 

State  Coll.,  No.  162.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1973. 

My'tilus  modiolus,  LIN.  ;  Syst.  JVat.,  1158.     PENNANT  ;  Brit.  Zool,  iv.  239,  t.  69. 

MONTAGU  ;  Test.  Brit,,  163.     CHEMN.  ;  Conch.,  viii.  178,  t.  85,  f.  759.    KNORR  ; 

Vergn.,  iv.  t.  15,  f.  3.     LISTER;   Conch.,  t.  1057,  f.  5.    DILLWYN  :  Catal.,i. 

314.     WOOD  ;  Index,  pi.  12,  f.  31.     Lin.  Trans.,  viii.  107.    DONOVAN  ;  Brit. 

Shells,  pi.  23. 
Modiola  modiolus,  TURTON  ;    Brit.  Biv.,   199,  pi.  15,  f.  3   (young).      Conch. 

Diet.,  111. 

My'tilus  Papuanus,  DESHAYES  ;  Encyc.  Meth.,  Vers,  ii.  564,  pi.  219,  f.  1. 
Modiola  Papuana,  LAM.  ;  Jin.  sans  Vert.,  vii.  17.     BLAINV.  ;  Malacol.,  pi.  64,  f.  3. 
Modiola  vulgaris,  FLEMING  ;  Brit.  Jlnim.,  412. 
My'lilus  barbatus,  LIN.;    Syst.  Nat.,  1156.      DONOVAN;     Brit.    Shells,   pi.   70. 

MONTAGU  ;   Test.  Brit.,  161.     PENNANT  ;   Brit.  Zool.,  iv.  238,  pi.  67,  f.  2. 

Shell  large,  thick,  coarse  and  solid,  ovate-oblong  ;  beaks  placed 
at  one  side,  points  inclined  outwards,  and  projecting  nearly  as  far 
as  the  anterior  extremity,  which  is  very  short  and  narrow  ;  the 
upper  edge  is  ascending,  and  straight  about  one  half  the  length  of 
the  shell,  when  it  curves  gently  downwards  to  the  posterior  ex- 
tremity, which  is  obtusely  rounded  ;  the  basal  margin  is  somewhat 
arched  upwards,  and  at  the  arched  portion  the  shell  is  gaping  for 


124    INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

the  passage  of  the  byssus.  From  the  beaks  a  very  convex,  broad 
ridge  runs  diagonally  across  the  shell  ;  above  this  the  shell  is  com- 
pressed, and  along  its  lower  and  anterior  side  is  a  broad  depression 
or  constriction,  terminating  at  the  lower  margin  where  the  shell 
gapes.  Surface  roughly  marked  by  the  lines  of  growth,  and  by  a 
few  faint,  radiating  lines  ;  epidermis  thick  and  leathery,  folding 
over  the  margin,  of  a  chestnut  or  pitchy-brown  color,  smooth, 
glossy,  and  with  radiating  wrinkles  before  the  ridge  where  it  is 
generally  darker  colored,  while  the  ridge  is  lighter  colored. 
The  groove  for  the  ligament  is  long  and  deep,  resting  upon  a 
prominent  rib.  Interior  pearly,  of  a  somewhat  livid  color  ;  mus- 
cular impressions  large  and  deep  ;  byssus  colored  like  the  epider- 
mis. Length  4|  inches,  height  2J  inches,  breadth  2  inches. 

Inhabits  deep  water,  and  is  thrown  up  on  every  shore  exposed 
to  the  open  sea.  It  probably  dwells  upon  a  rocky  or  pebbly 
bottom,  as  its  byssus  would  find  no  attachment  in  mere  sandy  or 
muddy  regions. 

This  shell  is  well  known  on  account  of  its  size  and  universal  dis- 
tribution along  our  coast.  It  often  attains  to  a  great  size,  and  is  not 
unfrequently  seen  six  inches  in  length.  Specimens  are  rarely  found 
which  are  not  in  some  way  distorted.  Hence  the  shells  assume  a 
great  variety  of  form.  The  distortion  seems  to  depend  upon  two 
causes  ;  first,  the  body  to  which  they  are  attached  by  the  byssus,  which 
may  modify  the  form  of  the  basal  margin,  rendering  it  more  or  less 
arched ;  and  second,  the  frequent  injuries  sustained  by  being  dashed 
about  by  storms  among  the  rocks  which  they  inhabit.  They  are  the 
more  liable  to  accidents  of  this  kind,  in  consequence  of  their  affording 
attachment  to  the  Laminaria,  and  other  large  sea-weeds,  which,  being 
acted  upon  by  the  violence  of  the  waves,  tear  the  shells  from  their 
resting  places,  and  they  are  thus  dragged  great  distances.  In  fact,  it 
is  not  usual  to  find  a  specimen  on  the  beach  without  some  parasite 
attached.  A  common  deformity  occurs  at  the  posterior  or  broader 
end,  by  what  would  seem  to  be  an  arrest  of  developement.  The 
growth  does  not  go  on  in  this  direction,  the  successive  layers  extending 
very  little  beyond  each  other,  and  thus  we  have  a  broad,  blunt  ter- 
mination. 

The  M.  umbilicatus  of  Pennant  can  be  nothing  more  than  a  dis- 
torted variety  from  some  injury  to  the  lower  margin,  nearly  under  the 
beaks,  or  from  adhesion  to  some  small  convex  body,  causing  great 
contraction  at  this  part,  as  may  be  frequently  noticed. 


MYTILACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  MODIOLA.  125 

In  young  and  entire  shells  the  hinge  margin  rises  in  a  straight  line 
to  a  considerable  height,  and  then  slopes  downwards,  suddenly  form- 
ing a  conspicuous  angle  ;  but  in  older  shells  the  angle  disappears  in  a 
great  measure,  and  the  whole  superior  outline  is  regularly  curved. 
When  young,  the  epidermis  seems  to  be  prolonged  at  the  lines  of 
growth,  into  fringe-like  shreds.  Specimens  thus  clothed,  are  generally 
allowed  to  be  the  Mytilus  barbatus  of  Pennant.  M.  Gibbsii  is  said 
to  differ  in  having  these  shreds  serrated  or  gashed  along  one  edge.  I 
cannot  but  strongly  suspect,  though  I  cannot  demonstrate  it,  that  this 
apparent  extension  of  the  epidermis  is  a  parasitic  vegetable  ;  and  that 
M.  Gibbsii  is  not,  in  reality,  a  different  shell,  but  has  a  different 
vegetable  growing  upon  it. 

Old  shells  are  also  encrusted  with  various  species  of  Madrepore, 
Corallina,  and  Flustra. 

In  young  shells  there  is  usually  a  broad,  waxen-yellow  radiation 
from  the  beak  along  the  front  side  of  the  elevated  ridge  ;  and  this  re- 
gion, in  fact,  always  has  a  lighter  color  than  other  parts  of  the  shell. 

Deshayes  thinks  it  is  now  impossible  to  say  what  was  the  true 
Mytilus  modlolus  of  Linnaeus,  and  therefore  approves  the  course  of 
Lamarck  in  dropping  the  name  altogether,  and  assuming  a  new  one. 
I  cannot  see  any  reason  to  doubt  that  tHe  shell  under  consideration 
was  the  M.  modlolus  of  Linnreus,  while  there  is  ground  to  question 
whether  the  shell  which  Lamarck  had  in  view,  when  he  applied  the 
name  Papuana,  the  name  now  universally  applied  to  our  shell,  was  in 
reality  identical  with  our  species.  I  have  seen  several  specimens  of 
the  East  Indian  shell,  and,  though  very  closely  allied,  it  seems  to  differ 
in  many  particulars  when  the  two  shells  are  placed  side  by  side.  Dr. 
Loven  has  lately  assured  me  that  this  is  the  true  M.  modlolus,  and 
repeats  my  conjectures  as  to  the  distinctness  of  the  real  M.  Papuana. 

The  animal  is  of  a  dark  orange,  or  red-ochreous  color,  perhaps 
a  little  tinted  with  brown.  It  is  not  used  for  food  with  us,  though  there 
seems  to  be  no  reason  why  it  should  not  be  as  palatable  as  most  of 
the  shell-fish  that  are  eaten. 

MODIOLA  PLICATULA. 

Shell  oblong,  falciform,  widening  posteriorly  ;  surface  traversed 
by  numerous  radiating  ribs,  occasionally  branching  ;  epidermis 
glossy,  green  and  yellow. 

FIGURE  81. 


126    INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

State  Coll.,  No.  161.      Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1977. 

My'tilus  demissus,  DILLWYN  ;  Catal.,  i.  314.     WOOD;  Index,  pi.  12,  f.  30. 

Modlola  plicatula,  LAM.  ;  An.  sans  Vert.,  vii.  22. 

My'tilus  plicatulus,  DESHAYES  ;  Encyc.  Metk.,  Vers,  ii.  368,  pi.  220,  f.  5.     SOWER- 

B  Y  ;   Genera,  f.  7. 
Modiola  semi-costata,  CONRAD  ;  Journ.   Acad.  JVat.   Sc.,   vii.   244,  pi.  20,  f.  7. 

LISTER;  Conch.,  pi.  353,  f.  196. 

Shell  transversely  oblong-ovate,  much  elongated,  narrow  before 
and  widening  backwards,  somewhat  falciform  or  arched  ;  beaks 
moderately  prominent,  not  curving  outwards,  and  nearly  in  con- 
tact, very  near  the  anterior  extremity,  which  is  small  and  rounded, 
and  the  shell  is  much  compressed  at  this  part ;  the  lower  margin 
is  generally  curved  or  arched  upwards,  and  gaping  before  the 
middle  for  the  passage  of  the  byssus  ;  hinge  margin  straight,  and 
ascending  for  about  two  thirds  the  length  of  the  shell  so  as  to  give 
it  additional  height,  then,  by  a  regular  downward  curve,  it  produces 
an  obliquely  rounded  termination  to  the  shell  ;  a  broad,  elevated 
ridge  crosses  obliquely  from  the  beaks  to  this  termination,  above 
which  the  shell  is  compressed  ;  surface  ornamented  with  numer- 
ous radiating,  somewhat  undulating,  occasionally  branching  ribs, 
most  conspicuous  above  and  behind,  very  fine  on  the  anterior 
third.  Shell  silvery-white,  rather  brittle,  covered  with  a  thin, 
varnished  epidermis,  variegated  with  yellow,  green,  and  scorched 
colors,  usually  arranged  in  zones  ;  stages  of  growth  conspicuous  ; 
within  silvery-white,  the  muscular  impressions  and  margins  of  a 
livid  color  ;  margin  of  the  posterior  half  and  anterior  side  cren- 
ulated  by  the  ribsJ/  Length  3  inches,  height  l/^  inch,  breadth 
T9^-  inch. 

Inhabits  the  tide  waters  of  small  streams  where  there  is  some 
admixture  of  fresh  water  ;  and  also  the  drains  in  salt  marshes. 
In  these  localities  they  are  found  crowded  in  among  the  stones  of 
the  bed  of  the  stream,  or  imbedded  in  the  peat-like  soil  of  the 
banks,  near  high-water  mark.  In  this  position,  with  the  upper 
posterior  portion  slightly  exposed,  they  crowd  in  such  numbers 
as  to  form  a  complete  stratum  of  six  to  twelve  inches  in  thickness. 
A  great  portion  of  the  time  they  are,  of  course,  out  of  water  ; 
but  they  retain  enough  to  serve  the  demands  of  their  economy 
during  the  recess  of  the  tide,  and  eject  it  when  any  disturbance 
prompts  them  to  close  their  shell. 


MYTILACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  MODIOLA.  127 

This  species  seems  to  be  subject  to  little  variety.  Sometimes, 
however,  we  find  the  lower  margin  nearly  straight.  In  this  case  the 
upper  margin  is  nearly  parallel  to  the  lower,  so  that  the  shell  increases 
but  little  in  height ;  and  in  such  shells  the  beaks  appear  much  more 
prominent  than  in  ordinary  specimens. 

The  principal  variations  seem  to  consist  in  the  coloring,  which  is 
made  up  of  various  shades  from  bright-yellow,  passing  through  horn- 
color  and  chestnut  to  dark  bronze-green,  and  arranged  in  various 
modes  and  in  various  proportions.  What  Mr.  Conrad  regards  as  a 
distinct  species  under  the  name  semi-costata,  certainly  can  be  nothing 
more  than  a  variety  of  this  shell. 

MODIOLA  PECTINULA. 

Shell  obovate,  ventricose,  with  about  forty  equal,  radiating 
ribs  ;  beaks  prominent,  projecting  as  far  as  the  anterior  margin  ; 
epidermis  brownish  yellow. 

FIGURE   85. 
State  Coll.,  No.  159.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2342. 

Shell  small,  strong,  of  a  strictly  ovate  form,  excepting  that  a 
very  short  portion  of  the  hinge  margin  is  straight  ;  broadly  round- 
ed at  both  extremities,  but  most  so  behind  ;  valves  convex,  with- 
out any  marked  ridge  passing  from  the  beaks,  and  very  little  com- 
pression at  the  hinge  margin  ;  beaks  rather  prominent,  blunt,  and 
in  contact  with  each  other,  reaching  forward  as  far  as  the  anterior 
extremity  ;  surface  covered  with  about  forty  equal,  rounded, 
radiating  ribs  ;  epidermis  a  dark  gamboge-yellow  ;  lines  of  growth 
minute  ;  within  pearly,  of  a  livid  or  leaden  color  ;  entire 
margin  crenulated  by  the  ribs  ;  cavity  of  the  beaks  considerable. 
Length  i7^  inch,  height  J  inch,  breadth  /u  inch. 

Inhabits  St.  George's  Bank. 

This  very  strongly  marked  species  seems  to'  have  been  hitherto 
undescribed.  It  is  closely  allied  to  M.  discrepans,  but  is  smaller, 
stronger,  lighter-colored,  and  entirely  covered  with  ribs.  Of  five  or 
six  specimens  which  I  have  seen,  all  apparently  mature  shells,  the 
largest  was  of  the  size  given  above.  M.  arctica,  Leach,  is  a  smaller 
and  more  rounded  shell,  and  the  ribs  are  much  more  numerous. 


128  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

MODI  OLA    NEXA. 

Shell  ovate,  ferruginous,  beaks  prominent,  and  placed  considera- 
bly behind  the  anterior  extremity  ;  minutely  reticulated  with  fine, 
corrugated,  concentric,  and  radiating  lines. 

FIGURE  86. 
State  Coll.,  NoV  154. 

Shell  small,  thin,  long- ovate,  largest  behind,  slightly  produced 
at  the  posterior  extremity  ;  basal  edge  less  curved  than  the  su- 
perior edge,  which  is  moderately  compressed  ;  beaks  prominent, 
pointed,  directed  forwards,  scarcely  touching  each  other,  placed 
unusually  far  from  the  anterior  extremity ;  a  rather  sharp  ridge 
passes  from  the  beaks  diagonally  across  the  shell,  but  loses  itself 
about  half  way  across.  Surface  very  beautifully  sculptured  with 
a  net-work  of  very  minute,  crowded  lines  of  growth,  and  very 
numerous,  fine,  indented  radiating  lines  or  ridges,  which  are  obso- 
lete along  two  thirds  of  the  base,  and  most  conspicuous  behind, 
where  a  very  fine  line  divides  into  two  each  ridge,  going  to  the 
extreme  posterior  portion  ;  while  above  these,  on  the  compressed 
portion,  a  beautiful  lace-work  of  hexagonal  indentations  is  formed. 
The  portion  in  front  of  the  beaks  is  conspicuously  radiated. 
Epidermis  a  rusty-brown,  with  shades  of  olive,  glossy  ;  interior 
livid,  with  a  pearly  or  silvery  lustre,  and  with  minute,  radiating 
lines  ;  cavity  of  the  beaks  large  ;  margin  simple.  Length  i^- 
inch,. height  £j  inch,  breadth  &  inch. 

This  new  and  beautiful  shell  was  taken  by  dredging  in  the  har- 
bour of  Provincetown,  by  Colonel  Totten,  where  he  obtained 
several  living  specimens. 

It  is  allied  to  M.  discors  and  M.  discrepans  by  its  outline,  and  by 
the  triangular  portion  across  the  disk  nearly  destitute  of  radiating- 
lines.  But  it  is  more  compressed  than  either  of  those  shells,  less  in- 
equilateral, and  its  sculpture  far  more  beautiful.  The  radiating  lines 
seem  all  to  have  indentations  or  punctures  like  the  wing-covers  of 
many  large  beetles  (Cdrabi).  The  honey-comb  arrangement  near  the 
hinge  margin  is  very  beautiful.  Dr.  Loven  has  sent  me  the  shell, 
from  Sweden,  as  the  true  M.  discrepans  of  Montagu  and  Turton ;  but 
in  this  he  is  at  variance  with  the  opinions  and  figures  of  all  other  authors. 


MYTILACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  MODIOLA.       129 

MODIVOLA    Dl'SCREPANS. 

Shell  sub-oval,  broadest  behind:  beaks  nearly  terminal;  hinder 
extremity  somewhat  lobed ;  surface  divided,  into  three  compart- 
ments,  of  which  the  anterior  is  marked  by  about  eight,  and  the 
posterior  by  numerous  radiating  lines,  epidermis  olivaceous. 

FIGURE  83. 
State  Coll.,  No.  157.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2345. 

My'tilus  discrepans,  MONTAGU;  Test.  Brit.,  p.  169,  and  SuppL,  65.  pi.  26,  f.  4. 

MATON  and  RACKETT;  Lin.  Trans.,  viii.  pi.  3,  f.  9.    PENNANT  ;  Brit.  ZooL,  iv. 

241.    DILLWVN;    Catal.,  319.    TURTON  ;    Brit.  Biv.,  202.  Conch.  Diet.,  112. 

FLEMIN-G  ;  Brit.  Anim.,  413.    WOOD  ;  Index,  pi.  12,  f.  38. 
My'tilus   discors,  O.  FABR.  ;    FOMM.  Grand.,  191.     CHEMN.  ;    Conch.,  viii.   101, 

t.  86,  f.  767.  (var.) 
Modiola  loevighta,  (var.)  GRAY;  Appendix  to  Parry's  2rf  Voyage. 

Shell  somewhat  oval,  rather  oblique,  highest  about  the  middle, 
rounded  before,  base  slightly  curved,  hinge  margin  straight  and 
then  curving  obliquely  downward  ;  beaks  near  the  anterior  end, 
prominent,  and  rounded  ;  valves  moderately  convex  ;  surface 
coarsely  marked  by  the  lines  of  growth,  and  divided  into  three 
fan-shaped  compartments,  of  which  the  foremost  one  is  marked 
by  about  eight  small,  rounded,  rib-like  ridges,  the  spaces  between 
them  being  flat,  the  hinder  one  by  numerous  similar  ridges,  and 
the  central  one  is  plain,  or  with  very  minute  radiating  lines  ;  the 
limits  between  the  posterior  and  middle  compartments  are  desig- 
nated by  an  elevated  ridge  passing  from  the  beaks,  and  here  the 
basal  margin  of  the  posterior  compartments  projects  abruptly  be- 
yond that  of  the  middle  one,  so  that  the  rounded  point  of  the  shell 
forms  a  projecting  lobe.  Epidermis  olive-green  with  dark  chest- 
nut-colored shades,  folding  over  the  edge.  Interior  of  a  brilliant 
silvery  lustre  ;  edge  of  the  two  extreme  compartments  crenulated, 
and  very  strongly  near  the  ligament ;  a  few  folds  on  the  edge,  not 
corresponding  to  the  external  ridges,  are  found  just  in  front  of  the 
ligament.  Length  1  inch,  height  ^£  inch,  breadth  T\  inch. 

Found  on  Chelsea  Beach,  and  in  fishes'  maws.     Larger  speci- 
mens are  brought  from  the  Newfoundland  Banks.     I  have  two 
specimens  which  measure  1^  inch  in  length,  -J  inch  in  breadth. 
17 


130  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

This  species,  with  M.  discors,  is  common  to  the  northern  coasts  of 
Europe  and  America,  and  they  are  distinguished  from  all  others  by  the 
three  compartments  into  which  their  surface  is  divided.  The  distinc- 
tive marks  between  them  are  particularly  pointed  out  under  M.  discors. 

The  epidermis  becomes  nearly  black  by  age. 

* 


DISCORS. 

Shell  oval,  tumid,  upper  edge  somewhat  compressed  and  arching, 
posterior  tip  somewhat  produced  and  pointed  ;  beaks  largp,  nearly 
terminal  ;  surface  with  about  sixteen  ribs  at  the  anterior  third  and 
very  numerous  ones  at  the  posterior  third. 

FIGURE    84. 
State  Coll.,  No.  158.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2344. 

My'tilus  discors,  LIN  ;  Syst.  Nat.,  1159.     CHEMN.  ;   Conch.,  viii.  191,  t.  86,  f.  764. 

MONTAGU;    Test.    Brit.,  167.     PENNANT;  Brit.  Zool.,  iv.  240.      MATON  and 

RACKETT  ;  Lin.  Trans.,  viii.  111.  t.  3,  f.  5.    DONOVAN  ;  Brit.  Shells,  pi.  25,  f.  1. 

DILLWYN;    Catal,,  319.      TURTON  ;    Conch.   Diet.,  112.      WOOD;    Index,   pi. 

12,  f.  39. 
Modiola  discrepans,  LAM.;    An.  sans  Vert.t  vii.  23.    DESHAYES  ;  Encyc.  Mdth., 

Vers,  ii.  567. 
Modiola  discors,  FLEMING  ;  Brit.  Mm.,  413. 

Shell  irregularly  oval,  tumid,  heart-shaped  when  viewed  in 
front,  bluntly  rounded  before  ;  hinge  margin  somewhat  ascending 
and  a  little  compressed;  at  the  termination  of  the  ligament  the 
margin  gradually  curves  downwards,  so  that  the  shell  is  terminated 
behind  by  a  lobular,  somewhat  pointed  tip  on  a  level  with  the 
base  ;  basal  margin  an  undulating  curve,  nearly  parallel  with  the 
upper  margin  ;  beaks  large  and  prominent,  not  in  contact,  over- 
hanging the  anterior  extremity  ;  surface  as  in  M.  discrepans  ;  but 
there  are  sixteen  or  more  ribs  in  the  anterior  compartment,  those 
in  the  posterior  compartment  are  more  crowded,  more  distinct, 
the  intervening  spaces  rounded  ;  and  when  viewed  under  the  mi- 
croscope, the  whole  surface  is  found  to  be  covered  with  minute 
wrinkles  of  the  epidermis  crossing  the  ribs  and  the  spaces  be- 
tween them,  and  also  the  middle  compartment  ;  epidermis  green- 
ish-yellow with  clouds  of  olive.  Within  silvery,  margin  crenu- 
lated  by  the  ribs,  and  with  three  or  four  teeth  before  the  beaks. 


MYTILACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  MODIOLA.       131 

Byssus  very  long.     Length  |  inch,  height  T\  inch,  breadth  T3T 
inch. 

Found  adhering  to  the  stalks  of  sea-weed  (Laminaria),  cast 
upon  the  sea  beach. 

The  most  obvious  distinctive  marks  between  this  shell  and  M.  dis- 
crepans  are,  the  more  numerous  anterior  ribs,  and  the  concentrically 
corrugated  epidermis.  The  shell  is  proportionally  broader,  the  tip  is 
more  pointed,  more  depressed,  and  forms  a  projecting  lobe  much  like 
that  shell ;  and  the  ribs  are  more  decided.  The  shell  is  much  smaller 
and  very  much  more  rare.  This  is  not  M.  discors  of  Lamarck,  an 
East  Indian  species.  The  M.  discors  of  Turton  (Brit.  Biv.,  pi.  15, 
f.  4.)  seems  to  be  a  still  different  species,  and  I  have  received  it  from 
Dr.  Loven  under  the  name  of  M.  marmorata,  Forbes. 

MODIOLA  GLA'NDULA. 

Shell  obliquely  rounded-oval,  regularly  convex ;  beaks  small, 
separate ;  surface  with  minute  lines  of  growth,  crossed  by  minute 
and  crowded  radiating  lines ;  epidermis  brownish-yellow ;  margin 
crenulated. 

FIGURE  87. 
State  Coll.,  No.  160.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2346. 

Modlola  glandula,  TOTTEN  ;  Silliman's  Journ.,  xxvi.  367,  f.  3,e,  f,  g. 

Shell  small,  thin,  rounded-oval,  rather  inflated,  convexity 
regular ;  beaks  small,  rather  prominent,  curving,  not  in  contact, 
placed  at  about  half  the  height  of  the  shell ;  anterior  portion  slightly 
depending,  base  nearly  straight,  and  the  rest  of  the  margin  regu- 
larly rounded  ;  surface  with  minute  lines  of  growth,  crosse'd  by 
very  small,  rounded,  radiating  ribs,  about  equal  in  size  on  all  parts 
of  the  shell,  the  number  increasing  as  the  spaces  between  them 
widen  ;  epidermis  thin,  brownish-yellow  ;  within  white,  somewhat 
pearly  ;  edges  sharp  and  minutely  crenulated,  except  the  short 
portion  occupied  by  the  ligament.  Length  -^  inch,  height  -/^ 
inch,  breadth  ^  inch. 

This  very  pretty  and  singularly  shaped  Modlola  was  first  found 
by  Colonel  Totten,  in  Provincetown  harbour.  It  is  one  of  the 


132   INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

most  common  shells  found  in  the  stomachs  of  fishes  caught  in 
Massachusetts  Bay.  The  shell  is  not  often  so  large  as  above 
mentioned. 

Tts  rounded-oval  and  regularly  convex  form,  with  its  radiating  lines, 
forbid  that  it  should  be  confounded  with  any  other  shell  except  an  En- 
glish species,  the  Crenella  elliptica  of  Brown,  (Conch,  lllust.  of  Great 
Brit.,  fyc.  pi.  31,  f.  12  to  14,)  the  My'tilus  decussdtus  of  Montagu. 
For  my  own  part,  in  comparing  a  small  specimen  of  this  shell  with 
one  of  ours  of  a  similar  size,  I  must  confess  I  can  discover  no  differ- 
ence, though  Mr.  Sowerby  supposes  they  are  distinct.  In  giving  the 
dimensions  I  have  supposed  the  shell  to  be  placed  in  the  ordinary  po- 
sition of  other  species,  with  the  beaks  placed  laterally. 

FAMILY  PECT^NIDES,  LAM. 

Ligament  interior  or  half  interior.    Shell  in  general  regular,  compact,  not 
•foliated. 

GENUS  PECTEN,  TURTON. 

Shell  rounded,  inequivalve,  eared ;  superior  margin  straight ; 
beaks  contiguous.  Hinge  toothless,  with  a  triangular  internal 
pit  for  the  cartilage. 

PECTEN  MAGELLA'NICUS. 

Shell  orbicular,  inequivalve,  upper  valve  more  convex  than  the 
lower ;  exterior  surface  everywhere  marked  with,  closely  arranged 
radiating  lines',  interior  surface  without  ribs;  ears  small  and 
equal. 

State  Coll.,  No.  152.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  202S. 

O'strea  Magellanica,  GMELIN  ;  3317.  No.  9.     CHEMN.  ;  Conch.,  vii.t.  62,  f.  597. 

DILLWYN  ;  Catal.,  250. 
Pecten  Magellauicus,  LAM.;  Jin.  fans  Vert.,  vii.  134.    DESHAYES;  Encyc.  Meth.t 

Vers,  iii.  718,  pi.  208,  f.  5.    CONRAD  ;  Amer.  Mar.  Ctrnch.,  pi.  1,  f.  I. 

Shell  orbicular,  rather  higher  than  long,  thin  and  translucent 
when  young,  thick,  strong,  and  opaque  when  mature,  equilateral, 
inequivalve,  the  lower  valve  being  nearly  flat,  and  not  attaining 
the  edge  of  the  upper  valve  by  an  eighth  of  an  inch  or  more  ; 


PECTENIDES.  MOLLUSCA.  PECTEN.         133 

upper  valve  moderately  convex  ;  valves  widely  gaping  near  the 
hinge,  surface  everywhere  sculptured  with  radiating,  punctured 
lines,  or  grooves,  about  half  as  wide  as  the  spaces  between  them, 
somewhat  zigzag  in  their  course  ;  these  lines  are  crossed  by 
closely  arranged  lines  of  growth,  which,  on  the  convex  valve,  are 
scolloped  or  vaulted  over  the  radiating  lines;  flattened  valve 
white,  convex  valve  dingy  reddish-brown,  or  flesh-colored.  Hinge 
margin  narrow,  straight,  ears  equal,  the  notch  in  the  lower  valve 
rounded,  and  shallow.  Interior  white,  smooth,  glossy,  willi 
minute  radiating  lines  not  corresponding  to  the  exterior  grooves. 
Length  5  inches,  height  5J  inches,  breadth  1 J  inch. 

This  shell  is  not  common  on  the  Massachusetts  shore ;  but  single 
valves,  of  a  very  large  size  and  very  solid,  are  occasionally  thrown  up, 
and  smaller  ones  are  found  in  the  stomachs  of  fishes!  Its  proper  habitat 
is  farther  north,  and  along  the  eastern  part  of  the  coast  of  Maine  it  is 
found  abundantly  in  its  greatest  perfection.  It  does  occasionally  pass 
to  the  south  of  Cape  Cod,  (the  usual  terminus  for  northern  species) 
for  I  have  a  fine  specimen  which  was  drawn  up  alive,  by  a  hook,  off 
Block  Island. 

The  general  aspect  of  the  lower  valve  is  smooth ;  nor  do  we  see 
any  thing  like  ribs  on  the  upper  surface. 

PECTEN  ISLA'NDICUS. 

Shell  sub-orbicular,  reddish  or  orange-brown;  ears  unequal; 
surface  covered  with  small  ^  crowded,  irregularly  disposed,  scaly  ^ 
radiating  ribs,  which  re-appear  ivithin. 

FIGURE  89. 
State  Coll.,  No.  151.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2039. 

O'strea  Islandica,  MULLER  ;  Zool.  Dan.,  Prod.,  No.  2990.  LIN.  ;  fter  IVestrogoth., 
200,  t.  5,  f.  7.  GMELIN  ;  3326.  No.  55.  SHAW  ;  Zool.  Misc.,  xxiii.  I.  978,  987. 
FABR.;  Fauna  GrcenL,  415.  KNORR  ;  Delices,  fyc.,  t.  i.  pi.  B.  f.  3,  4.  LISTER  ; 
Conch.,  t.  1057,  f.  4.  GUALT.  ;  Test.,  t.  73,  f.  R.  SEBA  ;  Mus.,  ii.  t.  87,  f.  7. 

Pecten  Islandicus,  CHEMN.  ;  Conch.,  vii.  t.  65,  f.  615,  616.  TURTON ;  Cotif.lt. 
Diet.,  258.  Brit.  Biv.,  216.  DESHAYES  ;  Encyc.  Mttlt.,  Vers,  iii.  724.  FLEM- 
ING ;  Brit.  Mm.,  385,  pi.  212,  f.  1.  LAM.;  An.  sans  Vert.,  vii.  145.  SAY; 
Amer.  Conch.,  pi.  56. 

O'strea  cinnabarina,  BORN  ;  Mus.,  103.  DILLWYN  ;  Catal.,  256,  No.  20.  SCHKOET.  ; 
Einl.,  iii.  326,  No.  9. 

Pecten  Pealii,  CONRAD  ;  Jlmcr.  Mar.  Conch. ,  12,  pi.  2,  f.  2. 


134    INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

Shell  sub-orbicular,  or  broadly  ob-ovate,  equal,  the  upper 
valve  slightly  more  convex  than  the  lower,  covered  with  an  in- 
definite number,  fifty  to  a  hundred,  of  narrow,  unequal,  crowded, 
irregularly  disposed,  radiating  ridges,  bearing  a  multitude  of  erect, 
vaulted  scales  ;  their  ridges  are  grouped,  so  as  to  form  a  number 
of  unequal  ribs,  which  are  better  defined  on  the  interior  of  the 
shell.  Ears  unequal ;  posterior  one  shortest,  and  its  angle  slightly 
obtuse,  alike  in  both  valves,  and  covered  with  scaly,  radiating 
ridges  ;  the  anterior  ear  of  the  right  valve  is  more  deeply  notched 
than  that  of  the  left,  and  has  five  radiating  ribs,  occupying  about  two 
thirds  of  its  surface.  Valves  closed  except  at  the  notch  ;  color 
passing  from  light-orange  to  dark  reddish-brown  ;  the  upper  valves 
usually  zoned,  or  blotched,  with  deeper  colors,  and  the  lower 
valve  much  the  'lightest.  The  margin  jagged  by  the  elevated 
lines,  all  but  the  notch  of  the  right  valve,  which  is  plain,  except- 
ing that  there  are  five  or  six  minute  teeth  in  the  angle.  Interior 
white  and  glossy,  the  left  valve  usually  having  a  large  roseate  spot 
near  the  beaks.  Length  3  inches,  height  3|  inches,  breadth  1 
inch. 

Occasionally  found,  of  a  small  size,  in  the  stomachs  of  fishes. 
Its  proper  residence,  however,  seems  to  be  the  Newfoundland 
Banks,  where  it  is  a  favorite  food  of  fishes. 

In  a  young  state  the  vaulted  scales  do  not  appear ;  but  the  inter- 
stices between  the  ribs  are  filled  with  a  beautiful  lozenge-shaped  or 
tile-work  sculpture,  which  may  usually  be  seen  near  the  beaks  in 
adult  specimens.  The  coloring  varies  greatly,  and  has  given  rise  to 
two  or  three  synonyms. 

PECTEN  CONCE'NTRICUS. 

Shell  orbicular,  ears  sub-equal,  valves  convex,  nearly  closed, 
with  about  twenty  rounded  ribs. 

FIGURE  88. 
State  Coll.,  No.  150.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2036. 

Pecten  concentricus,   SAY  ;    Journ.  Jlcad.  Nat.    Sc.t  ii.   259.     CONRAD  ;   Amer. 
Mar.  Conch.,  pi  1,  f.  2. 

Shell  nearly  round,  rather  strong  ;  valves  convex,  the  lower 
very  little  less  so  than  the  upper  one,  with  about  twenty  elevated, 


OSTRACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  OSTREA.          135 

rounded  ribs,  the  depressed  spaces  being  similarly  rounded,  and 
about  equal  to  the  ribs  in  width  ;  loosely  wrinkled  concentrically 
by  fine  lines  of  growth.  Usual  color  a  dusky  or  blackish  horn- 
color,  with  alternately  darker  and  lighter  zones.  Ears  two  thirds 
of  the  length  of  the  shell,  nearly  equal,  and  crossed  with  small, 
radiating  ridges ;  notch  in  the  convex  valve  deep,  and  forming  an 
acute  angle,  or  narrow  slit.  Interior  shining,  grooved  to  corre- 
spond with  the  exterior  ribs,  the  intervening  spaces  flat ;  color 
white,  generally  tinged  with  purple-brown  about  the  hinge,  and 
around  the  margin,  sometimes  altogether  of  that  color.  Liga- 
mentary  pit  small  and  shallow.  Length  2f  inches,  height  2J  in- 
ches, breadth  I  inch. 

The  scoUop-she.il  is  found  abundantly  about  the  extremity  of 
Cape  Cod,  though  it  does  not  extend  far  along  its  inner  shore. 
It  is  common  along  all  its  outer  shore,  at  Nantucket,  Martha's 
Vineyard,  &c.,  and,  according  to  Mr.  Say,  is  one  of  the  most 
common  shells  along  the  shores  of  New  Jersey. 

It  is  subject  to  great  variation  in  coloring.  The  flatter  valve  is  often 
white,  and  always  of  a  lighter  color  than  the  other  valve.  Sometimes 
both  valves  are  white,  orange,  ochreous,  reddish,  or  purplish,  and 
sometimes  they  are  zoned  or  mottled  with  two  or  more  of  these  colors. 
In  consequence  of  which  they  are  very  pleasing  to  the  eye,  and  are 
extensively  employed  in  the  manufacture  of  card-racks,  pincush- 
ions, &c. 

FAMILY   OSTRACEA,  LAM. 

Shell  irregular,  foliated,  sometimes  paper-like  ;  ligament  internal  or  partly 
internal. 

GENUS  OSTREA,  LIN. 

Shell  very  irregular,  inequivalve,  the  larger  one  adhering,  the 
smaller  moving  forwards  as  the  shell  advances  in  age,  and  leaving 
a  lengthening  groove  for  the  ligament  exposed  along  the  beak  of 
the  adhering  valve. 

The  Oyster  varies  in  surface  and  shape  so  much,  according  to 
the  position  in  which  it  lies  during  growth,  that  it  is  not  only  im- 
possible to  give  any  description  which  shall  delineate  the  various 


136  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

transformations  it  may  undergo,  but  it  is  also  very  difficult  to  de- 
signate the  limits  of  species.  Lamarck  indicates  three  species 
belonging  to  this  coast  ;  but  it  is  very  doubtful  whether,  in  re- 
ality, there  are  even  two. 

Ct  is  also  a  question  on  which  there  are  various  opinions, 
whether  the  oyster  was  indigenous  in  Massachusetts  Bay  ;  or 
whether  all  which  grow  in  the  various  oyster-beds  owe  their 
parentage  to  inhabitants  of  the  Delaware,  Chesapeake,  and  Oyster 
Bays,  &c.  That  they  now  grow  spontaneously,  and,  for  aught 
we  can  learn,  always  have  grown  so,  on  the  south  shore,  there  is 
no  reason  to  doubt.  And  that  they  are  occasionally  found  of 
patriarchal  appearance,  in  all  parts  of  our  Bay,  is  certainly  true. 
But  the  question  is,  whether  these  places  are  their  natural  habitat, 
or  whether  they  have  been  accidentally  dropped  where  they  were 
found.  Many  incline  to  this  latter  opinion,  especially  the  younger 
oyster-men,  and  some  scientific  gentlemen.  But  the  old  settlers 
of  Cape  Cod  are  of  a  different  opinion.  They  say  that  Well- 
fleet,  where  the  southern  oysters  are  planted  for  Boston  use,  was 
originally  called  Billingsgate,  on  account  of  the  abundance  of  fish, 
and  especially  of  oysters,  found  there  ;  that  they  continued  to  be 
abundant  until  about  the  year  1780,  when  from  some  cause  they 
all  died  ;  and,  to  this  day,  immense  beds  are  shown  there,  of 
shells  of  native  oysters  which  perished  at  that  time.  They  say, 
ihat,  before  that  time,  no  such  thing  was  thought  of,  as  bringing 
oysters  from  the  south. 

O'STREA  VIRGINIA'NA. 

Si'iell  elongated,  narrow;  beaks  pointed,  not  much  curved ; 
ligamentary  eminence  of  the  upper  valve  extending  back  to  the 
apex. 

State  Coll.,  No.  148.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2350. 

O'strea  Virginiuna,  LISTER  ;  Conch.,  I.  200,  f.  34.   FAVANNE ;  Conch.,  pi.  41,  f.  C. 

2.     KLEIN;   Tentam.,  122.     SOWEKBY;    Genera  of  Shells,  f.  2. 
O'strea  Virgiuica,  GMELIN  ;   Syst.,  3336.  No.  113.    DILLWYN  ;    CataL,  i.  277. 

LAM.;  An.  sans   Vert.,  vii.  225.     WOOD;    Index,  pi.   11,  f.  (58.    DESHAVKS; 

Encyc.  Mdth.,  Vcrs,  ii.  pi.  179,  1  and  2. 
Grand  Huitre  de  la  Virginia,  DAVILA  ;    CataL,  290,  No.  613. 
Virginia  Rock-oyster,  PETIVKU  ;   Kazoplnjl.,  1. 105,  f.  3. 


OSTRACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  OSTREA.        137 

O'strea  rostrata  maxima,  CHEMN.  ;   Conch.,  viii.  38,  t.  73,  f.  677. 

O'strea  elongata,  SOLANDER;  Mss.     . 

O'strea  Canadensis,  LA.M.;  Jin.  sans  Vert.,  vii.  226. 

Shell  narrow,  elongated,  gradually  widening,  moderately  curv- 
ed, for  the  most  part  with  a  long  and  pointed  beak  at  the  apex, 
and  rounded  at  the  other  extremity.  Upper  valve  the  smallest, 
flattest  and  smoothest,  surface,  when  not  worn,  presenting  every- 
where leaf-like  scales,  of  a  somewhat  leaden-color.  The  hinge 
presents  the  usual  channel  in  the  beak  of  the  lower  valve,  longer 
or  shorter  according  to  the  age  of  the  shell,  and  marked  with  lines 
exhibiting  the  successive  removes  of  the  cartilage  ;  and  in  the  up- 
per valve  we  have  the  corresponding  elevation,  which  is  also  con- 
tinued back  to  the  point  of  the  shell.  The  muscular  impression 
is  nearly  central,  of  a  dark-chestnut,  or  sometimes  dark  violet- 
color.  It  often  measures  12  or  15  inches  in  length,  but  seldom 
more  than  3  inches  in  breadth. 

This  is  the  common  oyster  of  the  Chesapeake  Bay.  It  is  oc- 
casionally found  in  the  vicinity  of  Boston,  and  also  about  Prince 
Edwards'  Island,  at  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Lawrence.  Its  dis- 
tinctive characters  are  its  narrow,  elongated  form,  and  the  length- 
ened, pyramidal  hinge  ridge  along  the  beak  of  the  upper  valve. 
The  O.  Canadensis  is  either  a  variety  of  this,  or  the  next  species, 
most  likely  of  this. 

O'STREA  BOREA'LIS. 

Shell  somewhat  rounded,  curved,  scaly ,  greenish  ;  beaks  rather 
short,  considerably  curved ;  hinge  having  the  furrow  in  the  lower 
valve  from  the  apex,  but  having  in  the  opposite  valve  merely  a 
transverse  ridge,  not  extended  backwards. 

State  Coll.,  No.  149.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2055. 

O'strea  borealis,  LAM.;  An.  sans  Vert.,  vii.  220. 

O'strea  Canadensis,  BRUG.  ;  Encyc.  M6th.,  pi.  180,  f.  1  to  3. 

O'strea  edulis,  LIN  ;  &c. 

Shell  somewhat  obliquely  rounded-ovate,  usually  curved,  up- 
per valve  smallest,  flattest  ;   the  beaks  are  never  greatly  prolong- 
ed, more  curved  than  in  O.   Virginica.     The  surface  is  very 
irregular,  displaying  loosely  arranged  flakes  of  a  greenish-color ; 
18 


138    INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

the  margins  are  generally  more  or  less  plaited  or  scolloped,  en- 
tirely bony  in  the  lower  valve,  but  membranous  and  somewhat 
flexible  in  the  upper  one.  The  hinge  differs  from  the  preceding  in 
having  the  beaks  less  prolonged,  and  the  upper  valve,  instead  of 
having  a  lengthened,  pyramidal  ridge  extending  backwards  to  the 
apex,  has  only  a  transverse  ridge,  abrupt  behind,  and  sloping  into 
the  shell,  like  a  mere  partition,  behind  which  the  cartilage  is  at- 
tached. The  muscular  impression  is  also  dark-violet.  Interior, 
either  chalky  or  greenish-white. 

This  species  also  grows  to  a  great  size.  A  specimen  before 
me  measures  a  foot  in  length,  and  6  inches  in  breadth.  A  com- 
mon size  is  five  and  six  inches  in  length. 

This  is  the  common  New  York  oyster,  and,  although  they  are 
said  to  have  been  once  abundant  in  various  parts'  of  Massachusetts 
Bay,  especially  within  Cape  Cod,  yet  the  Boston  market  is  now 
chiefly  dependent  for  its  supply  on  the  oyster-beds  in  the  vicinity 
of  New  York  and  in  the  Chesapeake.  In  those  parts  of  Buzzard's 
Bay  which  border  upon  Sandwich,  the  native  oyster  is  still 
found  in  great  abundance. 

The  oystermen  maintain  that  our  shell  is  identical  with  the  En- 
glish O.  edulis ;  and  there  are  certainly  forms  in  which  the  Ameri- 
can and  European  specimens  could  not  be  distinguished. 

GENUS  ANEMIA,   LAM. 

Shell  irregular,  inequivalve,  one  valve  convex,  the  other  flattened 
or  concave,  perforated  near  the  beak  for  the  passage  of  a  muscle, 
by  which  it  adheres. 

ANOMIA  EPHIPPIUM. 

Shell  rounded,  margin  irregular ;  surface  scaly,  variously 
wrinkled  and  undulated  ;  beaks  pointed,  not  quite  reaching  the 
margin  ;  aperture  ovate. 

State  Coll.,  No.  146.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2060. 

6streum  parvum,  LISTER  ;  Conch.,  t.  204. 

Anomia  ephippium,  LIN.  ;  Syst.  JVaf.,  1150.  GMELIN  ;  Syst.,  3340,  No.  3.  GUALT.  ; 
Test.,  t.  97,  f.  B.  D'ARGENV.  ;  Conch.,  t. 19,  f.  C.  PENNANT  ;  Brit.  Zool.,  iv. 
t.  62,  f.  70.  CHEMN.  ;  Conch.,  viii.  t.  76,  f.  692,  693.  MONTAGU  ;  Test.  Brit., 
155.  WOOD;  Lin.  Trans.,  vi.  pi.  18,  f.  11,  12.  MATON  and  RACKETT  ;  Lin. 


OSTRACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  ANOMIA.  139 

Trans.,  viii.  102.  DONOVAN;  Brit.  Shells,  t.  1,  pi.  26.  BORN;  Mus.,  p.  117. 
SCHROET.;  Einl.  in  Conch.,  iii.  383.  POLI  ;  Test.,  ii.  186,  pi.  30,  -f.  9,  11. 
DA  COSTA  ;  Brit.  Conch.,  165,  pi.  11,  f.  3.  FAVANNE  ;  Conch.,  pi.  41,  f.  B.  DILL- 
WYN;  Catal,  i.  286,  No.  3.  BLAINV.  ;  Malawi,  pi.  59,  f.  3.  SOWERBY; 
Genera,  f.  1,  2,  3.  TURTOJV;  Brit.  Biv.,  227.  Conch.  Diet.,  2.  LAM.;  An. 
sans  Vert.,  vii.  273.  FLEMING  ;  Brit.  Anim.,  395. 


Shell  generally  rounded,  but  often  produced  at  one  side  or  at 
base  so  as  to  assume  an  oval  form  ;  its  margins  more  or  less 
jagged,  and  its  surface  scaly  from  the  loose  edges  of  the  lines  of 
growth,  and  variously  distorted,  undulated,  and  plaited,  according 
to  the  objects  to  which  it  adheres.  Lower  valve  flat,  its  aperture 
ovate,  reaching  the  margin  by  a  fissure.  Upper  valve  slightly 
convex,  little  elevated  about  the  beak,  which  is  small,  acute,  not 
quite  reaching  the  margin.  Substance  of  the  shell  pearly,  or  like 
talc,  of  a  greenish  tinge,  reflecting  golden  and  silvery  hues  ;  within 
smooth,  the  muscular  impressions  opake  white.  Usually  about 
an  inch  in  diameter,  but  growing  to  three  times  that  size. 

It  is  found  in  abundance  in  oyster  beds,  adhering  to  oysters. 
At  New  Bedford  it  has  been  found  anchored  by  its  muscle  to 
pebbles. 

This  shell  varies  so  much  in  its  form,  that  it  is  very  difficult  to 
characterize  it.  The  most  constant  trait  is  the  rugged,  scaly  exterior. 
It  not  unfrequently  assumes  a  ribbed  appearance,  in  consequence  of 
having  adhered  to  valves  of  Pecten  concentricus. 

ANOMIA  ACULEA'TA. 

Shell  rounded,  inclined  to  be  straight  at  the  hinge  margin  ; 
color  dingy-white  ;  beaks  obtuse,  terminal  ;  upper  valve  covered 
with  fine,  prickly,  radiating  lines  ;  lower  valve  smooth  ;  aperture 
circular. 

FIGURE  90. 
State  Coll.,  No.  147.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2347. 

Anomia  aculeata,  GMELIN  ;  Syst.,  3346.  TURTON  ;  Lin.  Syst.,  iv.  285.  Brit.  Biv., 
233.  Conch.  Diet.,  4.  CHEMN.  ;  Conch.,  viii.  92,  t.  77,  f.  702.  MONTAGU; 
Test.  Brit.,  157,  t.  4,  f.  5.  PENNANT  ;  Brit.  Zool.,  iv.  233.  DILLWVN;  Catal., 
288.  MATON  and  RACKETT  ;  Lin.  Trans.,  viii.  103.  WOOD  ;  Index,  pi.  11,  f.  3. 

Shell  small,  rounded,  the  hinge  margin  more  or  less  truncated 
or  straight,  color  yellowish-white  ;  upper  valve  convex,  the  beak 


140   INVERTEBRATA   OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

obtuse  and  marginal,  the  surface  covered  with  minute,  concave, 
or  prickly  scales,  arranged  in  radiating,  undulated  lines;,  lower 
valve  very  thin,  smooth,  or  with  a  few  prickles  near  the  margin  ; 
aperture  nearly  circular  ;  within  shining  ;  the  convex  valve  ex- 
hibiting the  exterior  ribs  near  the  margin.  Diameter  about  half 
an  inch. 

x  Found  amid  the  roots  of  fuci  which  are  thrown  up  attached  to 
stones,  shells,  &c. 

This  shell  is  easily  distinguished  from  its  co-species  by  the  scaly  or 
prickly  radiating  lines  upon  its  upper  valve.  It  seems  never  to  attain 
a  large  size. 

Besides  the  two  species  before  mentioned,  there  are  probably  two 
others  found  in  this  State.  But  all  species  are  so  distorted  as  to  ren- 
der it  difficult  to  separate  them  definitely. 

1.  AN6MIA  ELECTRICA,  Lin. —  distinguished  by  its  sulphur  or  golden 
hue,  defined  edge,  and  very  convex  upper  valve.    It  is  generally  much 
distorted,  transparent,  and  not  so  fragile  as  most  species,  not  scaly. 

Found  among  oysters. 

2.  ANOMIA  SQUA'MULA,  Lin.  —  a  small,  smooth,  rounded,  or  oblong- 
oval  shell,  very  thin  and  regular,  exhibiting  regular  concentric  lines  of 
growth  ;  color  whitish  ;  edges  well  defined  ;  aperture  rounded. 

Found  attached  within  old  bivalve  shells. 

These  two  species,  however,  are  not  positively  made  out. 

FAMILY  BRACHIOPODJl,  LAM. 

Shell  adhering  to  marine  bodies  either  directly  or  by  means  of  a  tendinous 
cord ;  animal  having  a  pair  of  fringed  arms,  spirally  coiled  when  at  rest. 

Instead  of  being  regarded  as  a  family  of  the  CONCHIFERA, 
according  to  the  arrangement  of  Lamarck,  the  BRACHIOPODA  are 
fully  entitled  to  be  ranked  as  a  class.  The  animals  are  as  distinct 
and  peculiar  in  their  organization,  as  the  CIRR'IPEDES  are.  In- 
stead of  the  back  of  the  animal  being  placed  against  the  hinge,  as 
in  other  bivalves,  and  the  sides  against  each  of  the  valves,  in 
these  we  have  the  back  against  one  valve,  and  the  belly  against 
the  other.  The  pair  of  long  arms,  with  curled  fringe  at  their 
edges,  is  found  in  no  other  mollusca. 


BRACHIOPODA.  MOLLUSCA.         TEREBRATULA.        141 

GENUS  TEREBRATULA,  BRUG. 

Shell  inequivalve,  one  valve  prolonged  into  a  sort  of  beak,  and 
perforated  at  its  tip  for  the  passage  of  a  tendinous  cord  by  which  it 
affixes  itself.  On  the  interior  of  the  smaller  valve  are  two  bony 
processes. 

TEREBRATULA   CAPUT-SERPENTIS. 

Shell  obovate,  whitish,  upper  valve  truncated  horizontally  at  the 
apex ;  foramen  large,  one  side  completed  by  the  apex  of  the  lower 
valve  ;  surface  with  minute,  radiating  strice. 

State  Coll.,  No.  145.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2348. 

Anomia  caput-serpentis,  LIN.  ;    Syst.  JVbt,   153.      BORN  ;    Mus.,  pi.   6,  f.  14. 

GMELIN  ;  Syst.,  3344,  No.  21.     CHEMN  ;    Conch.,  t.  78,  f.  712.    WOOD  ;  Index, 

pi.  11,  f.  22. 

Terebratula,  BRUG.  ;    Encyc.  M6th.t  pi.  246,  f.  7,  a,  b,  c,  d,  e,  f. 
Terebratula  caput-serpentis,  LAM.  An.  sans  Vert.,  vii.  332. 
Anomia  pubescens,  DILLWYN  ;   Catal.,  i.  293. 
Terebratula  pubescens,  DESHAYES  ;  Encyc.  Mith.,   Vers,  iii.   1024.     BLAINV.  ; 

Malacol.,  pi.  52,  f.  6.     SOWERBY  ;   Genera,  f.  2. 
Terebrdtula  septentrionalis,  COUTHOUY  ;  Bost.  Journ.  JVat.  Hist.,  ii.  65,  pi.  3,  f.  18. 

Shell  rather  thin,  semi-transparent,  yellowish  or  reddish-white, 
broadly  obovate  ;  upper  valve  slightly  convex,  narrow  at  the  sum- 
mit, and  abruptly  widening  below  ;  beak  slightly  projecting,  trun- 
cated horizontally  so  as  to  form  a  large,  semi-elliptical  orifice, 
completed  below  by  the  apex  of  the  lower  valve,  which  valve  is 
rounded,  flattish,  slightly  protuberant  down  the  middle  ;  both 
valves  covered  by  minute,  but  distinct  and  well-rounded  radiating 
ribs,  which  increase  in  number  with  the  width  of  the  shell  ;  these 
are  crossed  by  a  few  irregular  lines  of  growth  ;  the  whole  covered 
by  a  thin,  silvery,  fibrous  epidermis.  From  under  each  tooth  in 
the  lower  valve  arises  a  thin  process  curving  a  little  inwards, 
whose  extremities  support  an  oval,  partially  twisted  ring  of  a 
similar  ribband-like  structure,  about  an  eighth  of  an  inch  in  di- 
ameter. Margin  of  the  shell  minutely  toothed  by  the  terminations 
of  the  ribs.  Length  |J-  inch,  height  -Jf  inch,  breadth  -fa  inch. 

Found  in  considerable  numbers  in  the  stomachs  of  fish,  and 
occasionally  on  the  sea-beach.  It  has  also  been  taken  alive  on 


142  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

the  coast  of  Maine.     Its  usual  residence   is   in   more   northern 
seas. 

An  examination  of  the  descriptions  of  T.  caput-serpentis,  given  by 
Linnaeus,  Miiller,  and  Chemnitz,  and  a  comparison  of  them  with  our 
shell,  had  well  satisfied  me  of  their  correspondence.  The  downy  epi- 
dermis is  a  character  too  singular  to  be  often  found,  or  to  be  over- 
looked. This,  however,  is  rubbed  off  very  easily.  No  account  of 
the  internal  bony  processes  is  given  in  any  description  except  that  by 
Mr.  Couthouy.  These  would  afford  the  best  possible  specific  charac- 
ter, were  it  not  that  they  are  usually  more  or  less  broken.  But  I  have 
been  relieved  from  all  further  speculation  by  the  receipt  of  specimens 
from  Dr.  Loven,  which  settle  the  identity  of  our  species  with  the  Eu- 
ropean caput-serpentis.  Deshayes  conjectures,  probably  with  justice, 
that  the  Anomia  aurita  of  Gmelin  is  the  same  thing  ;  and  also  that 
Anbmia  pubescens  of  the  same  author  and  others  is  this  shell  in  a 
young  stage,  when  plentifully  coated  with  pubescence.  T.  costata, 
described  and  figured  by  Lowe,  in  the  "  Zoological  Journal,"  ii.  105, 
pi.  5,  f.  8,  9,  is  very  closely  allied ;  but  it  is  a  smaller,  more  solid 
shell,  with  fewer  ribs,  and  entirely  different  internal  processes. 

TEREBRATULA  PSITTACEA. 

Shell  sub-triangular ;  narrowed  above,  the  beak  produced  into 
a  decurved  horn  ;  surface  striated,  foramen  triangular. 

FIGURE  91. 
State  Coll.,  No.  144.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2349. 

Terebratula  psittacea,  GMELIN  ;  Syst.,  3348.  CHEMN.  ;  Conch.,  viii.  78,  f.  713. 
DESHAYES  ;  Encyc.  Mtth.,  Vers,  iii.  1025,  pi.  244,  f.  3,  a,  b,  c.  LAM.  ;  Jin.  sans 
Vert.,  vii.  333.  LISTER;  Conch.,  211,  46.  DILLWYN  ;  CataL,  296.  TURTON  ; 
Brit.  Biv.,  236.  Conch.  Diet.,  5,  f.  12  to  14. 

Shell  thin  and  fragile,  brownish-black  or  sea-green,  of  an  in- 
flated, triangular  form,  one  of  the  valves  produced  into  a  long, 
pointed  and  strongly  curved  beak,  something  like  a  parrot's  beak  ; 
along  this  runs  a  triangular  channel,  (formed  by  the  inflected  mar- 
gins,) the  third  side  of  which  is  completed  by  the  tip  of  the  other 
valve  ;  the  smaller  valve  is  obovate  or  fan-shaped,  about  two 
thirds  the  length  of  the  longer  valve  ;  surface  marked  with  con- 
centric lines  of  growth,  and  with  numerous,  fine,  diverging  striae, 


BRACHIOPODA.  MOLLUSCA.        TEREBRATULA.       143 

increasing  in  number  as  the  shell  widens.  The  interior  bony  pro- 
cesses consist  of  two  slender,  curved,  parallel  prongs  arising  from 
the  base  of  the  teeth  of  the  upper  valve.  Height  J  inch,  length 
•gjf  inch,  breadth  }  inch. 

I  have  as  yet  met  with  only  one  specimen  of  this  shell  of  the 
above  dimensions,  which  was  taken  from  the  stomach  of  a  cod- 
fish. It  appears  to  be  everywhere  rare,  and  is  probably  an  in- 
habitant of  more  northern  seas,  especially  the  region  of  New- 
foundland. 


144    INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 


CLASS  GASTEROPODA,  CUVIER. 

The  GASTEROPODA  form  much  the  most  numerous  class  of 
Mollusca.  They  are  distributed  over  the  whole  surface  of  the 
globe,  and  live  on  the  land,  and  in  all  waters.  They  receive  their 
name  from  the  peculiar  conformation  of  their  organ  of  progres- 
sion. The  under  part  of  the  belly  is  flattened  out  into  a  smooth, 
elongated  disk,  and  on  this  they  glide  along. 
Some  of  them  have  also  the  power  of  swim- 
ming at  the  surface  of  the  water  in  an  in- 
verted posture.  They  have  a  distinct  head, 
furnished  with  one  or  two  pairs  of  tentacula, 
and  almost  always  they  have  rudimentary  [paiudinadecisa,s^.] 
eyes  situated  on  or  near  one  pair  of  them. 

The  shell,  almost  without  exception,  consists  of  only  one 
piece  (univalve),  and  is  more  or  less  revolving  in  a  spiral  coil. 
Into  it  the  animal  is  capable  of  withdrawing  entirely,  and  is 
usually  provided  with  a  horny  or  bony  cover  (operculum)  at- 
tached to  the  hinder  part  of  the  foot,  which  accurately  closes 
the  aperture  of  the  shell  after  the  body  has  wholly  receded. 

The  arrangement  of  the  respiratory  organs  is  various,  and  af- 
fords good  characters  for  distribution  into  families.  In  some  of 
them  the  respiratory  orifice  is  at  one  side,  under  the  edge  of  the 
mantle.  In  others  the  mantle  is  folded  so  as  to  form  a  long  flexi- 
ble proboscis  or  siphon ;  and  the  shells  of  these  have  a  notch  or 
groove  in  the  front  of  the  aperture,  in  which  the  siphon  lies. 

All  those  which  live  on  the  land  or  in  fresh  water  feed  on  de- 
caying vegetables  ;  while  a  great  portion  of  those  living  in  the  sea 
feed  on  animal  food,  and  devour  not  only  dead  animals,  but  many 
of  them  are  real  cannibals,  and  have  the  power,  either  by  their 
jaws,  or  by  the  application  of  an  acid,  to  perforate  the  shells  of 
their  fellow  testacea,  without  respecting  even  their  own  species, 
and  thus  suck  out  the  juices  of  the  living  occupant. 

Not  a  few  of  them  are  destitute  of  shells,  and,  in  fact,  the 
greater  part  of  the  naked  mollusca  belong  to  this  class.  Of  the 
few  that  have  been  observed  in  this  region,  some  notice  has 


MOLLUSCA.  145 

already  been  given.  These  were  the  true  GASTEROPODA  of  La- 
marck, while  his  MOLLUSCA  were  limited  to  what  we  have  em- 
braced in  the  present  class. 

The  following  synopsis  may  aid  in  arriving  at  the  genera  of  the 
testaceous  coverings  of  such  of  the  GASTEROPODA,  as  are  found 
with  us. 

I.  Aperture  entire,  not  interrupted  in  front  by  a  notch  or  elongated  canal. 

i.  Shell  shield-like  or  cup-shaped,  aperture  very  large. 

1.  multi valve.     Chiton. 

2.  univalve. 

*  simple.    Patella,  Lottia,  An'cylus. 
**  with  a  fissure  at  summit.     Cemdria. 

***  with  a  partial  partition,  parallel  to  the  aperture.     Crepidula. 
ii.  Shell  tusk-shaped.     Dentalium. 

iii.  Outer  whorl  enveloping  all  the  others,  the  spire  often  invisible.     Bulla. 
iv.  Shell  with  an  evident  spire. 

1.  inhabiting  the  land  and  breathing  air. 

*  sub-globular,  or  wheel-shaped.     Helix. 

**  ovate,  with  an  elongated  spire.    Pupa,  Bullmus,  Succinea. 

2.  inhabiting  fresh  water. 

*  spire  wheel-shaped,  evident  above  and  beneath.    Planorbis. 
**  spire  elevated. 

t  aperture  ovate.     Limnea,  Physa,  Paludlna,  Amnicola. 
\\  aperture  circular.     Valvata. 

3.  inhabiting  the  sea. 

*  spire  ovate-globose. 

t  aperture  ovate. 

§  pillar  simple.     Natica,  Littor\na,  Jdnthina. 
§  pillar  with  an  umbilical  groove.     Lacuna. 
tt  aperture  circular.    Margarita,  Skenea. 
**  spire  elongated. 

§  pillar  simple.     Turritella,  Scaldria,  Cingula,  Py'ramis. 
§  pillar  with    teeth  or  folds.      Meldmpus,    Tornatella, 

Odostbmia. 

***  spire  ear-shaped.     Sigarbtus. 
****  spire  irregular,  lax.     Vermetus. 

II.  Aperture  terminating  in  front  by  a  notch  or  elongated  beak. 

\.  With  a  notch. 

1.  pillar  simple.     Buccinum,  Columbdlla, 

2.  pillar  plaited.     Cancellaria. 
ii.  With  a  canal. 

1.  canal  short. 

*  recurved.     Ceriihium,  Fusus. 

*  straight.     Rostellaria,  Trichotropis,  Purpura,  Pleurotoma. 

2.  canal  prolonged.     Py'rula,  Randlla. 

19 


146    INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 


FAMILY  PHYLLIDI^NJl,  LAM. 


Shell  not  spii-cd,  shield-shaped,  composed  of  one  or  more  pieces  ;  aperture 
very  large. 

GENUS  CHITON,  LIN. 

Shell  oval,  consisting  of  eight  arched  pieces,  arranged  across 
the  body  of  the  animal  in  a  series  overlapping  each  other,  their 
ends  set  in  the  skin,  which  forms  a  rim  around  them. 

CHITON  APICULATUS. 

Dorsal  triangles  with  series  of  elevated  points  ;  lateral  triangles 
with  scattered,  elevated  dots. 

FIGURE  20. 

State  Coll.,  No.  131.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  740. 

Chiton  apiculatus,  SAY  ;  Amer.  Conch.,  No.  8. 

Shell  oval-oblong,  convex,  sub-carinated  ;  color  grayish  or 
light-chestnut  ;  valves  eight  ;  anterior  valve  crescentic,  with  three 
or  four  concentric  lines,  and  numerous,  separate,  elevated,  equal, 
sub-equidistant  dots,  arranged  somewhat  in  regular  lines  along  the 
margin  ;  the  six  following  valves  have,  on  their  dorsal  triangles, 
from  twenty  to  thirty  longitudinal  series  of  elevated  points,  like 
beads,  somewhat  converging  towards  the  summit  ;  on  the  lateral 
triangles,  which  are  distinctly  elevated  above  the  dorsal  triangles, 
are  scattered  points  like  those  on  the  anterior  valve  ;  posterior 
valve  with  the  series  of  dots  like  the  dorsal  triangles,  a  central 
tubercle,  and  the  remainder  with  scattered  dots  like  those  on  the 
anterior  valve.  Margin  coriaceous,  with  alternate  stripes  of  white 
and  dusky  pubescence.  Length  1  inch,  breadth  f  inch. 

Inhabits  the  southeastern  waters  of  this  State,  after  passing 
Cape  Cod.  I  have  received  it  from  Nantucket  and  Martha's 
Vineyard.  It  is  found  more  abundantly  along  the  coast  of  New 
York  and  New  Jersey.  Dr.  Jay  found  it  in  great  numbers  at 
Gardiner's  Island. 


PHYLLIDIANA.  MOLLUSCA.  CHITON.  147 

This  species,  so  accurately  described  by  Mr.  Say  from  a  single 
specimen  sent  him  by  Dr.  Ravenel  of  Charleston,  South  Carolina, 
cannot  be  confounded  with  any  other.  The  beautiful  and  conspicu- 
ous bead-like  series  of  dots  are  not  found  on  any  other  described 
species,  though  they  partially  and  inconspicuously  appear  on  C.  cine- 
reus.  On  account  of  their  arrangement,  I  had  formerly  indicated  the 
shell  under  the  name  of  C.  pectindtus.  The  recent  publication  of 
Mr.  Say's  Manuscript  has  established  his  name.  The  lines  of  dots 
are  not  all  of  equal  length,  and  sometimes  they  become  so  blended  as 
to  form  merely  an  elevated  line,  but  they  are  generally  very  definite. 
I  have  seen  some  British  shells  labelled  C.  ruber,  which  have  precisely 
the  same  sculpture  ;  but  they  are  much  more  elegant  in  marking,  and 
are  of  a  bright  reddish-brown  or  rose-color.  They  cannot  be  C.  ruber, 
however,  according  to  any  description  I  have  seen  under  that  name. 

CHITON  MARGINA'TUS. 

Shell  ovate,  the  valves  carinated  across  the  middle,  and  pointed 
behind  ;  of  a  dead  cinereous  or  greenish-color,  and  minutely  sha- 
greened ;  margin  pulverulent. 

FIGURE  22. 
State  Coll.,  No.  167.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2353. 

Chiton  marginatus,  PENNANT;   Brit.  ZooL,  iv.  71,  t.  36,  f.  2.    LIN.;  GMELIN  ; 

Syst.j  3206,  No.  26.     MONTAGU;  Test.  Brit.,  1.    PULTENEY  ;  Dorset  Catal.,  25, 

pi.  1,  f.  2.    MATON  and  RACKETT  ;  Lin.  Trans.,  viii.  21,  pi.  1,  f.  2.     WOOD; 

Gen.  Conch.,  21,  pi.  3,  f.  4.    SCHROET.  ;  Einl.  in  Conch.,  iii.  508.     D'ARGENV.  ; 

ConchyL,  t.  25,  f.  M.     LAM.;  An.  sans   Vert.,  vii.  492.     SOWERBY  ;  Conch. 

Illust.,  f.  106  to  112.    FLEMING  ;  Edin.  Encyc.,  vi.  102.    Brit.  Anim.,  289. 
Chiton  cinereus,  LOWE  ;  Zool.  Journ.,  ii.  99,  pi.  5,  f.  5. 

Shell  small,  ovate,  moderately  convex,  with  an  elevated  ridge 
along  the  centre,  where  each  of  the  valves  projects  backwards  in 
a  minute  beak,  ending  at  the  centre  of  the  posterior  valve  ; 
valves  faintly  divided  into  triangles  ;  surface  otherwise  apparently 
smooth,  but  under  the  magnifier  it  is  found  to  be  beautifully  sha- 
greened,  the  granules  being  arranged  in  diamonds  on  every  part. 
Color  a  dead,  dull  ashen  or  greenish  color,  sometimes  mottled. 
Margin  narrow,  membranous,  coated  with  a  dusty  pigment,  which 
is  alternately  hoary  and  brownish.  Length  J  inch,  breadth  T3^ 
inch. 


148  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

A  single  specimen  of  this  shell  was  found  living,  a  few  years 
since,  by  Dr.  Charles  Pickering,  at  Phillips's  Beach,  and  is  now 
in  the  Cabinet  of  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences  at  Philadel- 
phia. It  is  a  common  British  species. 

It  is  an  inelegant  shell  at  first  sight,  its  dingy,  dull  surface  present- 
ing nothing  attractive.  But  no  one  can  fail  to  admire  its  beautiful 
sculpture  when  viewed  under  the  magnifier.  The  serrated,  reflected 
margin  usually  mentioned  in  descriptions,  is  merely  a  contraction  of 
the  margin  about  the  ends  of  the  valves,  such  as  we  see  in  many 
other  species. 

It  is  allied  to  C.  apiculatus ;  but  we  find  the  lateral  triangles  as 
much  sculptured  as  the  dorsal  hi  this  ;  the  dots  are  diamond-shaped, 
and  arranged  in  quincunx,  and  not  bead-like,  and  arranged  in  series. 
From  our  other  species  it  is  distinguished  by  its  dead  surface. 

CHITON  PULMINATUS. 

Shell  ovate-oblong,  brownish  or  yellowish-red,  variegated  with 
angular ,  whitish  lines,  and  a  scries  of  whitish  points  along  the 
posterior  margin  of  the  valves ;  surface  minutely  granulated  ; 
margin  pubescent. 

State  Coll.,  No.  134.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  972. 

Chiton  fulminatus,  COUTHOUY  ;  Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  ii.  80,  pi.  3,  f.  19. 

Shell  oblong-ovate,  rather  flat ;  color  varying  from  bright-red 
to  yellowish  or  dark  reddish-brown,  with  numerous,  fine,  zigzag, 
whitish  lines  arranged  over  the  whole  surface,  and  a  line  of 
six  or  eight  whitish  spots  alternating  with  dark-red  along  the 
posterior  edge  of  each  valve  ;  valves  carinated  and  slightly 
beaked,  their  surface  covered  with  microscopic  granulations  ar- 
ranged in  quincunx  ;  to  the  naked  eye  smooth  and  shining  ;  di- 
vision into  triangular  areas  very  indistinct ;  lines  of  growth  very 
faint.  Margin  narrow,  coriaceous,  coated  with  a  close,  short 
down,  alternately  red  and  white.  Within  white  at  the  edges  of 
the  valves,  deepening  towards  the  centre  to  a  rose-color.  Length 
T7T  inch,  breadth  -/•$  inch. 

Found  in  the  stomachs  of  fishes  caught  off  Egg  Rock,  Co- 
hasset,  &c. 


PHYLLIDIANA.  MOLLUSCA.  CHITON.       149 

This  very  beautifully  marked  species  varies  considerably  in  outline, 
size,  marking,  and  color.  Some  have  the  sides  nearly  parallel,  and 
others  are  decidedly  ovate ;  some  exceed  an  inch  in  length  ;  some 
have  the  lines  of  growth  deeply  marked,  while  others  are  nearly 
smooth ;  some  have  a  dead,  ashen  color,  but  such  are  apparently  very 
old.  In  some  the  zigzag  lines  and  white  dots  are  very  distinct,  in 
others  not. 

This  may  very  probably  prove  identical  with  some  species  of  the 
North  of  Europe  ;  but  as  it  is  utterly  impossible  to  say  which  one,  I 
will  not  run  the  risk  of  adding  further  confusion  to  the  already  inex- 
tricable synonymy  of  the  Chitons,  by  offering  any  conjectures.  Dr. 
Loven  says,  "  It  is  a  very  common  species  with  us  [in  Sweden].  I 
think  it  is  the  S.  laevigdtus,  FLEMING."  Mr.  Sowerby  thinks  "  it  would 
be  impossible  to  find  a  distinguishing  character"  between  this  and  C. 
cinereus.  In  this  he  is  certainly  mistaken.  It  comes  much  nearer  to 
his  red  variety  of  C.  marginatus ;  but  the  granulations  of  the  surface  of 
our  shell  are  not  half  so  distinct  as  in  either  C.  marginatus  or  C.  cine- 
reus.  It  is,  therefore,  best  to  use  Mr.  Couthouy's  name  for  the  pres- 
ent, as  it  is  the  only  one  to  which  the  shell  can  now,  or  perhaps  ever, 
be  referred  with  certainty. 

CHITON  RUBER. 

Shell  small,  oval,  elevated,  carinated ;  valves  marked  by  lines 
of  growth;  otherwise  smooth,  strongly  beaked',  margin  pulveru- 
lent^ red  and  white. 

FIGURE  24. 
State  Coll.,  No.  166.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2352. 

Chiton  ruber,  LOWE  ;  Zool.  Journ.,  ii.  101,  pi.  5,  f.  2.    SOWERBY;   Conch.  RlusL, 
f.  103, 104,  lower  fig.     FLEMING  ;  Edin.  Encyc.,  vi.  102.    Brit,  dnim.,  289. 

Shell  small,  strong,  nearly  oval,  being  but  slightly  narrowed  be- 
fore, convexly  elevated  and  traversed  by  an  elevated  ridge  or  keel 
along  the  back  ;  valves  without  any  appearance  of  granulations  or 
punctures  under  the  magnifier,  but  marked  with  conspicuous 
grooves,  indicating  the  stages  of  growth,  most  marked  near  the 
border  ;  otherwise  perfectly  smooth,  shining,  and  polished  ;  pos- 
terior margin  strongly  beaked.  Color,  light  brick-red  or  flesh- 
color,  with  occasional  dashes  of  dark  crimson  across  one  or  more 


150  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

valves,  sometimes  arranged  in  stripes  ;  such  a  stripe  will  usually 
be  found  at  a  little  distance  on  each  side  of  the  keel,  while  the 
keel  itself  has  a  stripe  of  crimson  spots,  occasionally  replaced  by  a 
yellow  spot.  It  is  frequently  incrusted  with  a  black  foreign  sub- 
stance. Margin  coriaceous,  coated  with  a  red  and  white  dust  ar- 
ranged in  alternate  stripes.  Triangular  areas  generally  well 
marked.  Interior  bright  rose-red,  becoming  fainter  at  the  mar- 
gins of  the  valves.  Length  |  inch,  breadth  T8T  inch. 

Found  adhering  to  stones  dragged  from  the  deep  by  kelp  ; 
also  in  the  maws  of  fishes. 

It  is  not  difficult  to  distinguish  at  sight  well-marked  individuals  of 
this  species  from  those  of  C.  fulminatus.  But  there  are  intermediate 
specimens  which  it  is  not  easy  to  pronounce  upon.  In  general,  this 
species  is  smaller,  more  solid,  more  convex,  the  valves  more  beaked, 
lines  of  growth  more  deep,  the  zigzag  lines  never  appearing,  though 
the  posterior  margin  of  the  valve  is  sometimes  dotted  with  white  and 
red.  The  impunctured  or  ungranulated  surface,  however,  is  the  best, 
as  it  is  a  constant,  characteristic. 

That  this  is  the  C.  ruber  of  Lowe  and  Sowerby,  1  think  there  can 
be  no  question,  though  it  may  not  be  C.  ruler  of  other  authors.  The 
figure  in  Pennant,  "Brit.  Zool.,"  pi.  36,  f.  3,  also  represents  accu- 
rately most  of  the  adult  specimens,  though  it  is  quoted  by  authors  as 
C.  Icevis,  which  is  distinguished  by  its  finely  reticulated  margin. 

CHITON  ALBUS. 

Shell  small)  elliptical,  valves  carinated  and  partially  beaked, 
minutely  granulated ;  margin  beaded. 

FIGURE  27. 
State  Coll.,  No.  133.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  973. 

Chiton  albus,  MONTAGU;  Test. Brit.,  4.    SOWERBY;  Conch.  IllusL,  99,  99 a,  100. 

BROWN  ;    Conch,  of  Great  Brit.,  fyc.  pi.  35,  f.  2. 
Chiton  aselloides,  LOWE;  Zool.  Journ.,  ii.  103,  t.  5.  f.  3.     WOOD;   Suppl.}  pi.  1, 

f.  9. 
Chiton  sagrinktus,  COUTHOUY  ;  Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  ii.  82. 

Shell  small,  elongated-oval ;  covered  with  a  bluish-black  pig- 
ment, which  easily  rubs  off,  and  leaves  the  ground  yellowish  or 
ash-colored  ;  surface  beautifully  granulated,  under  the  microscope, 


PHYLLIDIANA.  MOLLUSCA.  CHITON.       151 

so  as  to  resemble  the  finest  shagreen.  Valves  moderately  cari- 
nated,  and  with  a  minute  beak  ;  distinctly  marked  with  lines  of 
growth,  and  a  feeble  diagonal  ridge  often  divides  each  side  into 
two  triangles ;  anterior  valve  crescentic,  with  about  twelve 
marginal  teeth.  Margin  membranous,  yellowish,  covered  with 
beaded  granules.  Length  •£•$  inch,  breadth  -/$  inch. 

Found  in  the  stomachs  of  fishes  in  considerable  numbers. 

This  shell  was  first  discovered  on  this  side  the  Atlantic  by  Mr.  Joseph 
P.  Couthouy,  and  supposed  by  him  to  be  new.  But  it  agrees  in  all 
respects  with  Mr.  Lowe's  figure  and  description  of  C.  aselloides ;  and 
Mr.  Sowerby,  on  an  examination  of  our  shell,  accords  with  me  in 
opinion  that  it  is  that  shell.  Mr.  Lowe  subsequently  states  (Zool. 
Journ.,  iii.  79.)  that  his  species  "  is  clearly  identified  with  C.  albus  of 
Montagu."  But,  as  it  is  only  white  when  divested  of  its  pigment,  the 
name  aselloides  i«  much  more  descriptive. 

The  ridges,  edges,  and  interstices  of  the  valves  usually  have  the  pig- 
ment worn  off,  so  as  to  present  a  yellowish-color.  The  beaded  margin 
distinguishes  it  from  all  our  other  species ;  but  it  is  rare  to  find  the 
margin  unimpaired. 

CHITON  EMERSONIA'NUS. 

Shell  ovate-oblong,  white ;  valves  reniform,  each  with  a  central 
cordiform^  sculptured  area,  the  remainder  covered  with  a  dirty  mem- 
brane, with  two  rows  of  hairy  tufts  at  the  margin  ;  anterior  valve 
emarginate. 

FIGURE  19. 
State  Coll.,  No.   132.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2351. 

Chiton  Emersonii,  COUTHOUY  ;  Bost.  Journ.  JVaf.  Hist.,  ii.  83,  pi.  3,  f.  10. 

Shell  ovate-oblong,  broadest  behind  ;  of  a  light  drab-color  ; 
valves  eight,  kidney-shaped,  the  extremities  being  rounded  and 
the  posterior  margin  deeply  arched  ;  posterior  valve  narrowed  and 
excavated  at  the  tip  ;  on  the  centre  of  each  valve  is  a  small,  heart- 
shaped  area,  beautifully  sculptured  with  bead-like  granules,  three 
or  four  series  of  which  are  parallel  to  its  border,  and  the  central 
ones  on  each  side  are  arranged  in  a  somewhat  concentric  manner  ; 
the  beak  is  elevated  and  pointed,  and  smooth  or  slightly  striated ; 


152  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

the  area  on  the  anterior  valve  is  shaped  like  the  valve.  The  re- 
maining portion  of  the  valves  is  smooth,  with  three  radiating  lines 
passing  from  the  beaks  to  the  middle  of  each  base,  enclosing  two 
rounded,  threadlike  ribs.  It  is  also  covered  with  a  thin  mem- 
brane, coated  with  a  dirty,  scurfy  epidermis  which  is  easily 
rubbed  off.  Margin  broad  and  thick,  resembling  macerated  calf- 
skin, coated  like  the  rest  of  the  surface,  and  having  two  ranges 
of  small  tufts  of  yellowish  hair,  two  on  each  of  the  intermediate, 
and  six  or  eight  around  the  terminal  valves.  Length  j  inch, 
breadth  T%-  inch. 

Found  in  the  stomachs  of  fishes  taken  in  Massachusetts  Bay. 

This  is  a  very  curious  shell,  and,  with  three  or  four  other  described 
species,  might  constitute  a  sub-genus.  It  is  so  rough  and  unseemly 
that  it  is  very  likely  to  be  rejected  as  some  decayed  specimen ;  or  the 
discoverer  would  begin  to  clear  off,  as  some  extraneous  substance, 
the  coating  which  belongs  to  it,  and  gives  it  a  character. 

The  shape  of  the  valves,  the  sculptured  areas,  and  the  emarginate 
anterior  valve,  will  not  allow  it  to  be  confounded  with  any  other  spe- 
cies. Could  it  be  presumed  that  so  remarkable  characters  as  the  cen- 
tral areas  and  the  anterior  valve  were  overlooked,  we  might  suppose 
this  to  be  the  C.  vestitus,  BROD.  and  SOWERBY  (Zool.  Journ.,  iii.  368.) 
The  areas,  however,  are  easily  defaced,  and  might  not  have  attracted 
notice  in  their  specimens.  In  other  respects  their  description  would 
apply  well  to  our  shell.  The  figure  recently  given  of  it,  in  the  Ap- 
pendix to  Beechey's  Voyage,  represents  a  shell  proportionally  much 
narrower  than  ours. 

GENUS  PATELLA.    LIN. 

Shell  low-conical,  apex  nearly  central  and  inclining  a  little  for- 
wards ;  aperture  oblong-oval,  cavity  basin-shaped. 

PATE'LLA  CA'NDIDA. 

Shell  small,  white,  with  numerous  diverging  ribs,  checked  by 
revolving  lines,  apex  central. 

State  Coll.,  No.  124.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2381. 

Patella  Candida,  CouxHouy ;  JBost.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  ii.  86,  pi.  3.  f.  17. 


PHYLLIDIANA.  MOLLUSCA.  LOTTIA.  153 

Shell  small,  conical,  white,  oval,  having  numerous  minute 
radiating  ribs,  traversed  by  equally  fine  concentric  lines,  which 
give  the  surface,  when  viewed  under  a  magnifier,  the  appearance 
of  net-work ;  summit  nearly  central,  margin  slightly  scolloped  by 
the  termination  of  the  ribs  ;  interior  white.  Length  ?7T  inch, 
height  T\  inch,  breadth  J  inch. 

Only  three  specimens  of  this  shell  are  yet  known.  The  first  one 
found  was  taken  by  Mr.Couthouy  from  the  stomach  of  a  fish  caught 
off  Barnstable,  and  was  described  by  him.  A  second  has  since 
been  found  by  Mr.  W.  W.  Wheildon,  of  Charlestown.  It  is  at  once 
distinguished  by  its  checkered  or  granulated  surface,  no  other  spe- 
cies, yet  described,  having  that  character. 

GENUS  LOTTIA,  GRAY. 

Shell  basin-shaped,  apex  obtuse,  usually  more  depressed  and 
thinner  than  Patella,  and  distinguished  from  it  chiefly  by  its  in- 
habitant. 

LO'TTIA  TESTUDINALIS. 

Shell  oblong-oval,  greenish-white,  for  the  most  part  with 
brownish  sub-dividing  radiations ;  centre  ivithin,  dark-brown. 

FIGURE   12. 

State  Coll.,  No.  129.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  767. 

Patella   testudinalis,    MULLER,  Prodr.,   p.   237.      FABR.;    Fauna   GrcE.nl.,  385. 

LAM.  ;  An.  sans  Vert.,  vii.  543.     DILLWYN  ;  Catal,  1045.     WOOD  ;   CataL,  No. 

63,  pi.  37. 

Patella  testudinaria,  KAEMMERER,  Rudolst   Conch.,  12,  pi.  2,  f.  4,  5. 
Patella  testudinaria  Grcenlandica,  CHEMN.;  Conch.,  x.  325,  pi.  168,  f.  1614, 1615. 
Patella  tessellata,  MULLER  ;  Zool.  Dan.,  iii.  2868,  teste  Dr.  Beck. 
Patella  Clealandi,  SOWERBY  ;  Records  of  Lin.  Soc.,  viii.  621.    FLEMING  j  Brit. 

Jlnim.,287. 

Patella  virginea,  MULLER;  Zool.  Dan.,  iii.  2867. 
Patella  virginea  ?  GMELIN.  ;  3711.     DILLWYN;  CataL,  1052. 
Patella  amce^na,  SAY  ;  Journ.  dead.  Nat.  Sc.t  ii.  223. 
Patelloidea  amceW,  COUTHOUY  ;  Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  ii.  171. 
Patelloida  testudinalis,  LEA  ;   Trans.  Am&r.  Phil.  Soc.,  (New  Series,)  vii.  73. 
Patella  cly'peus,  BROWN;  Conch,  of  Great  Brit.,  &c.,  pi.  37,  f.  9,  10. 
Lottia  Antillurum,  SOWERBY  ;  Conchol.  Manual,  f.  231. 

20 


154    INVERTEBRATA   OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

Shell  oblong-oval,  moderately  elevated,  thin  ;  apex  behind  the 
middle,  pointed,  and  turning  forwards  ;  surface  finely  checkered 
with  minute  radiating  lines  crossed  by  encircling  lines  ;  general 
color  a  greenish-white,  with  dark-brown  stripes  radiating  from  the 
summit,  and  frequently  dividing,  before  they  reach  the  margin, 
which  is  sharp  and  entire  ;  within,  the  central  portion  is  dark- 
brown,  and  the  margin  is  more  of  less  bordered  or  checkered 
with  the  same  color,  by  the  exterior  markings  showing  through. 
Ordinary  length  £  inch,  breadth  |-£  inch,  height  \  inch. 

Found  along  our  whole  coast,  adhering  to  the  rocks,  and  is  com- 
mon on  the  northernmost  shores  of  Europe  and  America. 

This  shell  varies  infinitely  in  its  markings.  The  general  appear- 
ance is  as  above  described.  Sometimes,  all  exterior  coloring  is  want- 
ing ;  and  commonly,  the  lines  are  so  delicate,  and  arranged  in  such  a 
manner,  as  to  exhibit  a  kind  of  net-work.  The  largest  specimens  I 
have  seen  were  brought  from  Castine,  Maine.  These  were  1£  inch 
in  length.  There  can  no  longer  be  any  doubt  that  this  is  the  shell 
long  known  in  the  North  of  Europe  as  P.  testudinalis.  Specimens 
sent  me  from  Ireland,  Scotland,  and  Norway,  agree  in  every  par- 
ticular with  ours.  Probably  the  P.  Antillarum  is  the  same,  though 
Mr.  Sowerby  does  not  intimate  this  in  his  correspondence. 

Mr.  Couthouy  was  the  first  to  determine  the  generic  place  of  this 
shell,  by  an  inspection  of  the  animal. 

I  have  employed  the  generic  term  LOTTIA,  of  Gray,  as  it  has  the 
right  of  priority,  is  not  an  objectionable  derivative,  and  is  in  general 
use  among  all  conchologists  except  the  French.  PATELLOIDEA  was 
also  given,  as  the  name  of  a  family,  by  Blainville.  The  arrangement 
of  the  branchiae  of  the  animal  would,  strictly,  remove  the  genus  from 
this  family. 

LOTTIA  ALVEUS. 

Shell  oblong-oval,  compressed  at  the  sides,  thin,  colored  with  a 
net-work  of  white  and  brown. 

FIGURE   13. 

State  Coll.,  No.  130.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  777. 

Patella  alveus,  CONRAD  ;  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.,  vi.  267,  pi.  11,  f.  20. 
Patelloidea  alveus,  COUTHOUV  ;  Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  ii.  177. 


CIRROBRANCHIATA.  MOLLUSCA.  DENTALIUM.  155 

Shell  small,  thin  and  fragile,  elevated,  compressed  at  the  sides, 
so  that  the  margins  are  nearly  parallel,  the  ends  of  equal  breadth, 
and  obtusely  rounded  ;  apex  at  the  posterior  third,  pointing  for- 
wards ;  outer  surface  beautifully  checked  with  the  lines  of  growth, 
and  fine,  but  distinct,  radiating  lines  ;  color  a  reddish-brown,  with 
oval  or  circular  yellowish-white  spots,  arranged  in  a  somewhat 
regular  manner,  so  that  the  whole  resembles  a  net-work.  The 
thinness  of  the  shell  allows  the  external  coloring  to  appear  on  the 
inside  ;  edge  entire.  Length  T5T  inch,  breadth  T\-  inch. 

Found  abundantly  on  the  eel-grass  (Zostera  marina),  to  whose 
narrow  leaves  its  form  is  exactly  adapted. 

In  old  specimens  a  lateral  compression  is  very  obvious,  and  the 
sides  are  at  least  parallel,  and  sometimes  incurved  for  one  half  the 
length  of  the  shell.  The  apex,  when  not  worn  off,  is  acute,  and  pro- 
jects distinctly  forwards.  The  markings  usually  give  the  shell  a 
checkered  appearance ;  but  occasionally  we  have  stripes,  as  in  the 
preceding  species. 

This  shell  is  the  very  miniature  of  Patella  compressa.  Mr.  Sower- 
by  suggests  that  it  bears  the  same  relation  to  P.  testudinalis  as  Patella 
compressa  does  to  P.  miniata ;  in  other  words,  it  is  the  same  spe- 
cies, changed  in  form  from  having  adhered  to  a  narrow  sea-weed 
instead  of  a  stone.  The  general  marking  of  the  shell,  and  the  cir- 
cumstance of  its  seldom,  if  ever,  being  noticed  living  anywhere  except 
upon  the  narrow  leaves  before  mentioned,  render  this  opinion  not  at 
all  improbable. 

FAMILY  CIRROBRANCHMTJ,  BLAINV. 

Animal  with  the  branchiae  in  the  form  of  numerous  long  filaments,  arising 
from  two  radical  lobes  placed  above  the  neck,  and  enveloped,  with  the  head,  by 
the  mantle.  Shell  tubular,  not  spiral. 

GENUS   DENTALIUM,  LIN. 

Shell  tubular,  elongated-conical,  slightly  curved,  opening  at  each 
end  by  a  rounded  orifice. 

DENTALIUM  DENTALE. 

Shell  polished,  slightly  curved,  with  eighteen  or  twenty  faint, 
unequal  ribs. 


156    INVERTEBRATA   OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

FIGURE  5. 

State  Coll.,  No.  265.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2415. 

Dentalium  dentalis,  LIN.  ;  Syst.  Nat.,  1263.  BORN;  Mus.,  t.  18,  f.  13.  MATON 
and  RACKETT;  Lin.  Trans.,  viii.  237.  DESHAYES  ;  Mem.  de  la  Soc.  d'Hist. 
Nat.,  ii.  353,  pi.  16,  f.  9,  10.  LAM.  j  An.  sans  Vert.,  v.  595. 

Dentalium  striatum,  MONTAGU  ;  Test.  Brit.,  495. 

Dentalium  attenuatum,  SAY  ;  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.,  iv.  154,  pi.  8,  f.  3. 

Shell  slender  and  tapering,  curved  like  an  elephant's  tusk,  the 
tip  cut  off,  leaving  a  very  small  opening.  Surface  rather  glossy, 
yellowish-white,  marked  with  about  twenty  closely  arranged,  un- 
equal, rib-like  strise,  running  the  whole  length  of  the  shell. 
Length  about  an  inch  ;  diameter  at  the  larger  end  about  J  inch. 

I  am  enabled  to  add  this  shell  to  our  list  through  the  kindness  of  my 
friend  W.  W.  Wheildon,  of  Charlestown,  who  sent  me  the  specimens, 
accompanied  by  the  following  memoranda. 

"  Two  specimens  of  Dentalium  were  taken  from  the  stomachs  of  cod- 
fish, in  the  Spring  of  1839.  They  were  both  found  to  have  penetrated 
the  entrail  of  the  fish,  and  were  firmly  fixed  there.  They  had  proba- 
bly been  in  the  fish  for  some  length  of  time.  Both  specimens  were 
unfortunately  eroded,  one  of  them  so  much  so  that  it  is  quite  impossible 
to  determine  any  of  its  characters,  except  its  size,  its  markings  being 
entirely  obliterated.  In  the  other  specimen  the  striae  are  distinct,  and 
seem  to  conform  to  the  D.  dentalis  of  the  coast  of  England.  Twenty 
to  twenty-two  striae  may  be  counted  on  its  surface." 


FAMILY  CALYPTRcEA,  LAM. 

Shell  basin-shaped,  serving  as  a  cover  to  the  animal  ;  distinguished  from 
the  preceding  family  by  the  branchitB  being  situated  in  a  peculiar  cavity  upon 
the  back. 

GENUS  CEM^RIA,  LEACH. 

Shell  small,  like  Patella,  with  the  apex  elevated   and  curved 
forwards,  and  with  a  fissure  just  behind  the  apex. 

CEMORIA  NOACH!NA. 

Shell  small,   white,  conical,   covered  with  unequal,  radiating 
ribs  ;  apex  curved  forwards,  and  perforated  obliquely  backwards. 

FIGURE  18. 


CALYPTRACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  CREPIDULA.          157 

State  Coll.,  No.  114.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1652. 

Patella  Noachina,  LIN.;  Mantissa,  551.  CHEMN.  ;  Conch.,  xi.  18C,  pi.  197, 
f.  1927,  1928. 

Patella  apertura,  MONTAGU  ;  Test.  Brit.,  491,  pi.  13,  f.  10.  WOOD;  Index,  pi. 
38,  f.  89. 

Patella  fissurella,  MULLER  ;  Zool.  Dan.,  i.  t.  24,  f.  4  to  6.  GMELIN  ;  Syst., 
3728,  No.  193. 

Fissurella  Noachina,  LYELL  ;  Obs.  sur  le  SouUvement  de  la  Su&de,  No.  16,  pi.  2, 
f.  13.  14.  LAM.  ;  An.  sans  Vert.,  vii.  604.  SOWERBY;  Conch.  Illustr.,  (Fissu- 
rella) f.  15. 

Puncturella  Noachina,  LOWE  ;  Zool.  Journ.,  iii.  77. 

Cemoria  Flemingii,  LEACH  ;  SOWERBY  ;  Conch.  Man.,  f.  244. 

Sipho  striata,  BROWN  ;  Conch,  of  Great  Brit.,  fyc.,  pi.  36,  f.  14  to  16. 

Shell  bluish-white,  conical,  its  summit  pointed  and  turned 
backwards,  and  the  surface  covered  with  about  twenty-two  ribs, 
with  intervening  smaller  ones,  and  wrinkled  by  the  lines  of  growth. 
A  narrow,  diamond-shaped  slit  is  presented  at  the  summit,  which 
opens  in  the  interior  by  a  circular  aperture,  towards  the  margin, 
the  course  of  this  canal  being  as  it  were  arched  over  by  a  thin 
plate  of  the  shell,  when  viewed  within  ;  edge  oval  and  scolloped 
by  the  ribs.  Length  y  inch,  breadth  •£  inch,  height  y1^  inch. 

This  curious  little  shell,  the  only  recent  species  of  its  genus 
known,  is  frequently  taken  from  the  stomachs  of  fishes.  It  is  also 
an  inhabitant  of  the  northern  seas  of  Europe,  and  is  found  in  a 
fossil  state  also. 

It  has  been  arranged  under  different  genera,  but  undoubtedly  has 
claims  to  be  the  type  of  a  distinct  genus.  Besides  those  mentioned 
above,  the  genus  RI'MULA  of  Defrance,  would  also  probably  embrace 
it.  But  CEMORIA  has  the  priority  over  all  those  which  have  been 
constructed,  though  any  one  of  the  others  would  seem  to  have  been 
better  chosen  names.  Lowe  remarks,  that  the  P.  apertura  of  Mon- 
tagu has  been  ascertained,  almost  beyond  a  doubt,  to  be  nothing 
more  than  the  young  of  Fissurella  Grceca.  But  his  figure  repre- 
sents this  shell. 

GENUS  CREPIDULA,  LAM. 

Shell  oval,  arched,  somewhat  boat-shaped,  with  an  imperfect 
spire  pressed  against  the  margin  ;  cavity  partially  divided  within 
by  a  horizontal  partition. 


158  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 


CREPIDULA    FORNICATA. 

Shell  oval,  apex  turned  to  one  side,  and  terminating  in  the  mar- 
gin ;  partition  appressed  to  one  side. 

FIGURE  17. 

State  Coll.,  No.  123.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  817. 

Patella  fornicata,  LIN.  ;   Syst.  JYat.,  1257.     MARTINI  j  Conch.,  i.  160,  t.  13,  f.  129, 

130.     LISTER  ;   Conch.,  t.  545,  f.  33,  35.     KNORR  ;   Vergn.,  vi.  t.  21,  f.  3. 
Crepidula  fornicata,  LAM.  ;  vii.  641.     SAY;  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.,  ii.  225. 

Shell  obliquely- oval,  one  side  more  oblique  than  the  other, 
apex  a  little  prominent,  turned  to  one  side,  not  separate  from  the 
body  of  the  shell,  and  generally  united  with  the  margin  of  the 
aperture  ;  convexity  moderate,  but  varying  according  to  the  ob- 
ject on  which  it  is  seated  ;  surface  wrinkled  by  the  lines  of 
growth,  of  a  dirty-white  color,  and  figured  with  interrupted, 
waved,  longitudinal  lines,  of  a  light-chestnut  color,  and  covered 
with  a  yellowish  epidermis  ;  aperture  obliquely  sub-oval,  the  edge 
entire  and  sharp,  color  light-brown,  with  darker  dots  and  blotches  ; 
a  ray  from  the  apex  along  the  middle  of  the  shell  generally  lighter 
than  the  rest  ;  diaphragm  white,  occupying  about  one  half  the 
aperture,  one  side  of  it  defined  by  a  distinct  line,  the  other,  for  a 
considerable  space,  compressed  against  the  side  of  the  shell,  and 
firmly  united  to  it,  the  free  edge  waving,  one  half  advancing  con- 
siderably beyond  the  other,  and  leaving  a  conspicuous  notch  at 
the  side,  outside  the  boundary  line,  surface  in  general  concave, 
but  a  narrow,  arched  portion  traverses  the  middle.  Length  1  \ 
inch,  breadth  \\  inch. 

Found  adhering  to  other  shells  and  to  each  other. 

This  is  probably,  what  Mr.  Say  supposed  it  to  be,  a  variety  of  C. 
fornicata,  as  originally  described,  and  is  a  species  found  in  various 
seas.  It  is  found  occasionally  thrown  upon  the  beaches  near  Boston 
after  a  storm,  but  is  not  uncommon  about  Cape  Cod,  and  the  islands  to 
the  southeastward.  The  best  specimens  I  have  seen,  were  brought, 
on  oysters,  from  Prince  Edward's  Island,  off  the  mouth  of  the  St. 
Lawrence.  Its  shape  varies  according  to  the  body  on  which  it  rests. 
Four  or  five  of  different  ages  are  frequently  found  riding  upon  each 


CALYPTRACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  CREPIDULA.          159 

other.  When  growing  upon  Pecten  concenlricus  it  is  found  to  have 
ribs  corresponding  to  those  of  the  Pecten.  It  is  a  solid  shell,  and  the 
diaphragm  is  situated  near  the  mouth,  leaving  no  cavity  extending 
under  the  beak.  The  manner  in  which  one  edge  is  pressed  against 
the  side  of  the  shell  is  quite  characteristic.  The  margin  of  the  aper- 
ture is  generally  white,  dotted  with  chestnut ;  the  remainder  of  the 
interior  is  more  or  less  brown.  Sometimes  the  attachment  of  the 
diaphragm  is  bordered  with  reddish-brown. 

CREPIDULA  PLANA. 
Shell  ovate,  flat,  white  ;  apex  acute,  terminal ;  diaphragm  convex. 

FIGURE   16. 
State  Coll.,  No.  143.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  821. 

Crepidula  plana,  SAT;  Journ.  dead.  Nat.  Sc.,  ii.  226.     Amtr.  Conch.,  pi.  44. 

Shell  ovate,  flat,  or  as  often  a  little  concave  or  convex,  thin, 
transparent,  white,  wrinkled  with  concentric  lines  of  growth  ; 
apex  minute,  pointed,  turning  a  little  to  one  side,  and  constituting 
the  extreme  termination  of  the  shell ;  the  other  extremity  broader, 
and  regularly  rounded  ;  interior  white,  of  a  brilliant  polish,  and 
iridescent ;  diaphragm  less  than  half  the  length  of  the  shell,  con- 
vex, rising  to  a  level  with  the  margin,  free  edge  for  the  most  part 
straight,  but  having  a  projecting  angle  near  one  side.  Length  1| 
inch,  breadth  T\  inch. 

Found  in  the  aperture  of  other  shells. 

This  species  has  also  been  observed  through  a  wide  region.  Mr. 
Say  noted  it  as  far  south  as  Florida.  It  does  not,  however,  frequent 
localities  north  of  us.  It  is  still  regarded  by  some  as  a  variety  of 
the  C.  fornicdta  modified  by  its  position.  But  the  peculiarity  of  form, 
coloration,  diaphragm,  and  habit  of  living,  seem  to  render  it  sufficient- 
ly distinct.  When  young,  it  is  of  a  more  rounded  form,  but  becomes 
elongated  by  age.  It  is  otherwise  very  variable  in  shape,  conforming 
to  the  position  it  occupies  in  the  throat  of  some  other  shell. 

This  is  very  likely  to  prove  to  be  the  C.  unguiformis,  Lam.,  (Pa- 
tella crepidula,  Lin.).  In  this  opinion  I  have  the  concurrence  of  Mr. 
Sowerby.  Deshayes  observes  that  he  can  hardly  think  that  the  shell 
figured  as  Calyptrda  unguiformis  by  Broderip,  in  "  Trans.  Zool. 
Soc.,"  i.  pi.  29,  f.  4,  is  the  shell  of  Linneeus.  He  says  the  shell  of 


160    INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

Linnseus  is  distinguished  by  a  profound  notch  at  one  extremity  of  the 
partition,  and  a  feebler  one  at  the  other  ;  that  the  shell  described  by 
Mr.  Say  as  Crepidula  plana  wants  this  notch,  and  is  the  shell  figured 
by  Broderip.  Now  it  so  happens,  that  the  only  specimen  which  I  am 
certain  is  entire  has  this  notch  precisely  as  described,  and  the  tooth- 
like  process  which  separates  the  large  notch  from  the  rest  of  the  mar- 
gin is  such  as  would  be  likely  to  be  broken  in  almost  every  instance. 
This  fact  leads  me  to  suppose,  that  all  three  of  the  shells  in  question 
are  of  the  same  species,  and  should  be  called  C.  unguiformis.  If  so, 
its  habitat  is  as  wide  as  that  of  C.  fornicata.  But  as  I  have  not  yet 
the  means  of  confirming  my  supposition,  I  give  Mr.  Say's  name. 

CREpfDULA    CONVEXA. 

Shell  elevated,  apex  terminal,  separated  from  the  body  of  the 
shell  ;  diaphragm  convex,  less  than  half  the  aperture,  edge  simple. 

FIGURE  15. 

State  Coll.,  No.  122.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  822. 

Crepidula  convexa,  SAY  ;  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.,  ii.  227. 

Shell  small,  opaque,  very  convex,  obliquely  ovate,  one  side 
nearly  vertical,  the  other  sloping  ;  surface  wrinkled,  color  ashen- 
brown,  with  bands,  stripes,  or  dots  of  dark  reddish-brown  ;  apex 
acute,  separate  from  the  body  of  the  shell,  turning  very  little  to 
one  side,  and  downwards  as  far  as  the  tip  of  the  shell  ;  within 
shining,  of  a  uniform  dark  reddish-brown  color  ;  aperture  oval ; 
diaphragm  deeply  situated,  leaving  a  cavity  extending  into  the 
beak,  convex,  brown,  the  free  edge  white  and  simply  curved. 
Length  ^  inch,  breadth  -£-$  inch,  height  -^  inch. 

Found  on  sea-weed,  and  on  stones  among  the  roots  of  sea-weed. 

It  is  seldom  found  entire.  Mr.  Say  described  from  dead  shells,  and 
had  not  seen  its  true  colors.  In  most  instances  one  side  is  nearly 
upright,  while  the  other  is  sloping ;  but  sometimes  the  two  sides  are 
nearly  similar.  The  diaphragm  is  regularly  arched,  the  arch  termi- 
nating at  a  regularly  curved,  depressed  line,  on  one  side,  and  here  the 
free  edge  makes  a  slight  projection. 

This  shell  is  easily  distinguished  from  all  our  other  species  by  its 
convexity  and  by  the  color  of  its  deeply  seated  diaphragm. 


CALYPTRACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  CREPIDULA.  161 

CREPIDULA   GLAUCA. 

Shell  oval,  smooth,  apex  separate,  slightly  turned  to  one  side  ; 
diaphragm  less  than  half  the  length  of  the  shell,  edge  waved. 

FIGURE  14. 
State  Coll.,  No.  121.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  818. 

Grepidula  glauca,  SAY  ;  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.,  ii.  226. 

Shell  obliquely  oval,  thin,  moderately  convex,  of  a  glaucous  or 
grayish-green  color,  faintly  freckled  with  dots  of  darker  and 
lighter  color  ;  surface  nearly  smooth  ;  the  apex  is  pointed,  pro- 
jecting considerably  beyond  the  outline  of  the  aperture,  and,  turn- 
ing downwards,  and  a  little  to  one  side,  does  not  quite  reach  the 
plane  of  the  aperture  ;  aperture  rounded  oval,  the  margin  usually 
expanded  ;  interior  a  uniform,  dark  reddish-brown,  or  occasionally 
mottled  ;  the  edge  is  margined  with  yellowish-white,  and  dotted 
with  brown  ;  diaphragm  white,  running  within  the  beak  so  as  to 
exhibit  a  considerable  recess  ;  it  is  waved,  two  thirds  being  con- 
vex, and  the  remainder  concave  ;  the  free  margin  has  a  concave 
curve  in  proportion  as  the  diaphragm  is  arched.  Length  |J  inch, 
breadth  ^  inch,  height  ^  inch. 

I  have  taken  only  one  specimen  of  this  shell,  which  I  found 
on  a  stone  dragged  upon  Chelsea  Beach  by  a  Laminaria  attached 
to  it.  It  is,  however,  common  on  the  ocean  shore  of  Rhode 
Island,  and  is  doubtless  to  be  found  at  the  Elizabeth  Islands,  and 
along  the  South  Shore.  The  specimens  I  have  received  from 
Colonel  Totten  have  a  peculiar  figure,  and  from  their  undulated 
edges  I  should  conjecture  they  were  taken  from  off  the  Pecten 
concentricus,  which  is  found  abundantly  about  Cape  Cod. 

It  is  readily  distinguished  from  C.  convexa  by  its  depressed  and 
broader  figure,  and  white  diaphragm.  From  small  specimens  of 
C.  fornicdta  it  is  distinguished  by  its  projecting  and  central  apex,  and 
by  the  constant  recess  under  the  beak.  In  some  specimens  the  arch- 
ing of  the  diaphragm  is  greater  than  in  others,  and  then  its  free  mar- 
gin is  more  or  less  curved  also.  There  is  no  decided  notch  at  either 
extremity. 

21 


162    INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

FAMILY  BULLEJINJ1,  LAM. 

Shell  thin,  rolled  up  like  a  scroll ;  animal  destitute  of  tentacula,  and  having 
the  branchiae  in  a  special  cavity,  at  the  posterior  part  of  the  back,  covered  by 
the  mantle. 

GENUS  BULLA,  LIN. 

Shell  thin,  oval  or  cylindrical,  the  last  whorl  enclosing  all  the 
others,  seldom  exhibiting  any  spire  ;  aperture  narrow,  nearly  the 
length  of  the  shell,  lip  sharp. 

BULLA  INSCULPTA. 

Shell  oval,  bluish-white,  fragile,  the  last  whorl  enveloping  all 
the  others,  and  covered  with  minute,  regular,  revolving  lines,  with 
an  imperfect  opening  in  the  region  of  the  spire. 

\  FIGURE  92. 

State  Coll.,  No.  118.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  838. 

Bulk  insculpta,  TOTTEN  ;  Silliman's  Journ.,  xxviii.  350,  fig.  4. 
Bulk  solitaria  ?  SAY  ;  Journ.  dead.  JVaf.  Se.t  ii,  245. 

Shell  oval,  rather  broadest  before  the  middle,  thin,  pellucid, 
bluish-white  ;  the  last  whorl  enveloping  all  the  others,  wrinkled 
lengthwise,  and  covered  with  minute,  close,  revolving  lines  ;  the 
region  of  the  spire  is  depressed,  and  sometimes  we  find  there  a 
very  small  opening  ;  aperture  narrow  behind,  broad  before  ;  outer 
lip  very  sharp,  rising  in  a  regular  curve  backwards  above  the 
summit  of  the  shell  ;  as  it  ascends  from  below  upon  the  body  of 
the  shell,  it  becomes  a  little  thickened,  and  forms  a  very  slight  fold 
at  the  umbilical  region  ;  a  very  thin  layer  of  enamel  is  found 
covering  the  inner  margin  ;  umbilicus  none.  Length  1  inch, 
breadth  \  inch. 

Found  at  Martha's  Vineyard,  at  New  Bedford,  and  in  the 
muddy  inlets  in  Roxbury. 

The  differences  between  B.  solitaria  and  B.  insculpta,  if  there  be 
any,  must  be  very  slight.  Nor  do  I  see  that  the  two  descriptions  are 
at  all  inconsistent  with  each  other.  Still,  it  is  true  that  the  shells  from 
Martha's  Vineyard  are  precisely  like  some  from  Charleston,  South 


BULLEANA.  MOLLUSCA.  BULLA.        163 

Carolina,  and  accord  with  Mr.  Say's  solitdria ;  and  those  from  Rox- 
bury  are  precisely  like  those  found  by  Colonel  Totten  at  Newport, 
Rhode  Island,  and  described  by  him.  The  observable  differences  are, 
that  the  first  are  of  a  more  dead  white,  are  more  cylindrical,  the  sum- 
mit has  a  more  square  appearance,  the  revolving  lines  are  less  distinct, 
and  there  is  always  a  perceptible  opening  in  the  region  of  the  spire. 
These  differences  may  be  ascribed  to  age  or  locality.  I  have  used 
Colonel  Totten's  name,  since  I  am  not  sure  that  it  is  the  shell  intended 
by  Mr.  Say. 

BULLA  HIEMA'LIS. 

Shell  minute,  globular,  very  thin,  dusky,  no  spire  perceptible, 
with  a  small  umbilicus. 

FIGURE  100. 
State  Coll.,  No.  119.      Soc.  Cab.  No.  2385. 

Bulk  hiemklis,  COUTHOUY;  Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  ii.  180,  pi.  4,  f.  5. 

Shell  globular,  very  thin  and  brittle,  transparent,  of  a  brownish 
tinge,  except  near  the  tip  where  it  is  whitish  ;  body-whorl  envel- 
oping all  the  rest,  so  as  to  leave  no  perceptible  spire,  and  marked 
with  the  lines  of  growth  ;  the  aperture  is  narrow  behind,  but 
greatly  enlarged  forwards  ;  the  outer  lip  revolves,  from  its 
junction  behind,  nearly  a  third  of  a  revolution  before  it  turns 
forwards  ;  a  thin  plate  of  callus  is  spread  over  the  inner  margin, 
and  rises  so  as  to  form  a  small  but  distinct  umbilicus.  Length 
and  breadth  about  ^  inch. 

Procured  from  cod-fish  taken  off  Provincetown,  in  about  thirty 
fathoms  water. 

It  is  a  remarkable  shell,  sufficiently  distinguished  by  its  globular 
form,  and  its  peculiar  lip. 

BULLA  GOU'LDII. 

Shell  ovate,  white,  rather  opaque,  composed  of  four  whorls,  the 
last  including  all  the  others,  and  covered  with  minute  revolving 
lines  ;  spire  nearly  flat. 

FIGURE  94. 


164   INVERTEBRATA   OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 
State  Coll.,  No.  117.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2384. 

Bulla  Gouldii,  COCTHOUY;  Boat.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  ii.  181,  pi.  4,  f.  6. 

Shell  small,  ovate,  shining,  of  a  dead  white  color,  covered  with 
a  yellowish  epidermis  ;  whorls  four,  rounded  at  their  upper  edges, 
their  dividing  line  well  marked  ;  the  last  whorl  is  as  long  as  the 
shell,  and  includes  all  the  others ;  under  the  magnifier  its  surface 
appears  covered  with  revolving  lines  ;  the  whorls  all  rise  to  about 
the  same  level,  so  that  the  summit  is  nearly  flat ;  the  anterior  ex- 
tremity is  rather  narrower  than  the  posterior :  the  aperture  is  nar- 
row behind,  and  suddenly  enlarged  by  the  curvature  of  the  inner 
margin,  which  is  a  little  thickened,  white,  and  polished.  The 
outer  lip,  from  its  junction  behind,  advances  a  little  as  it  turns  for- 
\Aard  by  a  regular  curve,  and,  finally  turning  backward  by  a  rather 
sharp  turn,  it  joins  the  body  of  the  shell  with  a  gentle  twist ;  um- 
bilicus none.  Length  T37  inches,  breadth  ^  inch. 

Found  by  Mr.  Couthouy  in  the  stomachs  of  fishes,  taken  off 
Cohasset  Rocks,  and  dredged  by  Col.  Totten  in  Provincetown 
harbour. 

In  shape  it  somewhat  resembles  B.  solitaria ;  but  it  is  a  smaller  and 
much  more  solid  shell,  and  its  flat  summit,  with  the  display  of  all  its 
whorls  there,  plainly  distinguishes  it.  The  anterior  extremity  is  also 
more  pointed.  It  is  much  broader  and  less  cylindrical  than  B.  canalicu- 
lata,  nor  has  it  the  conspicuous  fold  on  the  pillar,  as  that  shell  has. 

BULLA  DE'BILIS. 

Shell  obliquely  ovate,  small,  transparent,  inflated,  smooth,  par- 
tially umbilicated ;  whorls  four,  terminating  on  a  level ;  pillar 
lip  terminating  abruptly  in  front. 

FIGURE  95. 
State  Coll.,  No.  112.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2388. 

Bulla  debilis,  GOULD  ;    Silliman's  Journ.,  xxxviii.  196. 

Shell  small,  obliquely  ovate,  tumid,  thin  and  brittle,  greenish- 
white  ;  whorls  four,  all  rising  to  about  the  same  height,  division 
distinct,  each  very  convexly  rounded  ;  last  whorl  the  whole  length 
of  the  shell,  including  all  the  others,  and  partially  .detached  from 
them  above  ;  surface  without  apparent  marks  ;  aperture  as  long  as 


BULLEANA.  MOLLUSCA.  BULLA.          165 

the  shell,  widening  from  behind  forwards  ;  outer  lip  attached  be- 
hind, a  little  before  the  summit  of  the  shell,  it  rises  to  a  level  with 
the  spire,  and  then  descends  in  a  regular,  though  slightly  waved 
curve  to  the  front  of  the  pillar,  where  it  terminates  quite  abruptly  ; 
inner  lip  spread  out  in  a  thin  enamel  upon  the  body  of  the  sheU, 
partially  covering  an  umbilical  indentation  placed  at  about  one 
fourth  the  length  of  the  shell.  Length  Tl-0  inch,  breadth  i  inch. 
Obtained  from  fishes  taken  in  Massachusetts  Bay. 

This  shell  has  no  marked  resemblance  to  any  other  with  which  I 
am  acquainted,  unless  it  be  to  B.  Gouldii,  of  which  it  may  possibly  be 
the  young.  It  is,  however,  much  smaller  and  thinner,  more  globular, 
and  its  greatest  breadth  is  before,  instead  of  behind,  the  middle.  The 
peculiarity  of  the  base,  also,  is  well  marked.  In  many  respects,  it  has 
a  general  resemblance  to  Montagu's  B.  didphana,  ( Test.  Brit.  pi.  7,  f. 
8,)  but  that  has  an  elevated  spire,  and  is  not  umbilicated.  Brown 
figures  a  shell,  which  he  calls  Didphana pellucida,  (Conch,  of  Great 
Brit.,  &c.,  pi.  38,  f.  10,  11,)  which  bears  a  still  more  striking  resem- 
blance. 

These  two  last  named  species  would  come  under  the  sub-genus 
APLU'STRE  of  Blainville  ;  in  which  the  whorls  are  all  visible,  but  the 
spire  not  projecting;  and  in  which  there  is  a  thickened  portion  at 
the  anterior  termination  of  the  pillar. 

BULLA  TRITI'CEA. 

Shell  cylindrical,  smooth,  whitish,  of  the  size  of  a  grain  of  rice, 
a  pit  in  place  of  the  spire. 

FIGURE  98. 
State  Coll.,  No.  116.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  3871. 

Bulk  triticea,  COUTHOUV  ;  Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  ii.  88,  pi.  2,  f.  8. 

Shell  cylindrical,  polished,  rather  solid,  of  a  dull  white  color, 
and  covered  with  a  thin,  rusty  epidermis  ;  marks  of  growth  very 
delicate,  and  numerous  minute  revolving  lines  may  be  seen  under 
a  magnifier  ;  a  circular  pit  occupies  the  region  of  the  spire,  from 
the  margin  of  which  the  outer  lip  takes  its  origin,  and,  rising  a 
little,  passes  forward  in  a  direction  nearly  parallel  to  the  left 
margin  of  the  shell,  forming  a  long,  narrow  aperture,  which  sud- 
denly becomes  double  this  breadth,  near  the  front,  by  the  curva- 
ture of  the  inner  lip  ;  occasionally  the  lip  is  a  little  waved  in- 


166  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

wards  at  the  middle,  narrowing  the  aperture  ;  at  the  region  of  the 
umbilicus  is  a  flattened,  white  space,  thickened  by  enamel, 
gradually  disappearing  within  the  aperture  ;  the  whole  inner  mar- 
gin is  sometimes  slightly  coated  with  enamel.  Length  i  inch, 
breadth  TV  inch. 

Found  plentifully  in  the  maws  of  fishes  taken  in  Massachusetts 
Bay. 

This  shell  is  analogous  to  the  B.  cylindracea  of  Pennant,  (Brit. 
Zool,  pi.  70,  f.  85.)  But  that  is  a  much  longer  shell,  and  decidedly 
umbilicated  in  the  region  of  the  spire.  Brown  figures  a  shell  under 
the  name  of  Volvaria  alba,  (Conch,  of  Great  Brit.,  &c.,  pi.  38,  f.  43, 
44,)  which  bears  a  striking  resemblance  to  this  shell. 

BULLA  CANALICULA'TA. 

Shell  nearly  cylindrical,  spire  somewhat  elevated,  with  a  groove 
on  the  summit  of  the  whorls. 

FIGURE  97. 
State  Coll.,  No.  113.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2390. 

Volvaria  canaliculata,  SAY  ;  Joitrn.  Jlcad.  JVaf.  Sc.,  v.,  211. 
Bullina  canaliculata,  SAY  ;  Amer.  Conch.,  pi.  39. 

Shell  cylindrical,  white  and  shining,  with  very  faint  lines  of 
growth  ;  spire  a  little  elevated,  crowned  with  a  minute  but  promi- 
nent tip  ;  whorls  about  five,  the  summit  of  each  having  a  shallow, 
rounded  groove  ;  outer  lip  arching  forwards  ;  inner  lip  over- 
spread with  a  thin  plate  of  enamel,  and  having  a  single  oblique 
fold  near  the  base. 

I  have  found  only  one  specimen  of  this  shell  from  the  waters  of 
Massachusetts.  This  was  discovered,  among  other  minute  shells, 
in  sand  brought  from  Martha's  Vineyard.  Prof.  Adams  found 
them  in  considerable  numbers  in  New  Bedford  harbour. 

I  have  been  induced  to  place  this  species  under  the  genus  BULLA,  in 
consequence  of  the  remarks  of  M.  Deshayes,  in  his  edition  of  La- 
marck's work.  He  thinks  the  main  character  of  Ferussac's  genus 
BULLI  NA,  as  modified  by  Blainville,  viz.,  "  an  apparent  and  prominent 
spire,"  is  not  of  sufficient  importance  to  constitute  a  genus  ;  and,  while 
Mr.  Say  states  that  the  animal  of  BULLI' NA  differs  from  that  of  BULLA 


BULLEANA.  MOLLUSCA-  BULLA.        167 

by  having  two  distinct  tentacula,  Deshayes,  a  much  later  authority, 
says  it  is  perfectly  well  ascertained  that  the  animals  accord  with  each 
other  most  accurately. 

BULLI  NA  may  at  least  be  regarded  as  a  sub-genus  of  BULLA,  to 
which  this  species  and  the  next  will  belong.  At  the  same  time,  its 
shape  and  the  fold  on  the  columella  would  seem  to  approximate  it  to 
VOLVARIA,  where  Mr.  Say  originally  placed  it. 

BULLA  OBSTRI'CTA. 

Shell  oval-cylindrical,  white,  nearly  smooth,  spire  somewhat 
elevated^  last  whorl  nearly  as  long  as  the  shell,  and  slightly  girt- 
ed at  the  middle  ;  a  fold  on  the  pillar. 

FIGURE  96. 
State  Coll.,  No.  113.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2389. 

Bulla  obstri'cta,  GOULD  ;  Silliman'g  Journ.,  xxxviii.  196. 

Shell  small,  cylindrical,  with  each  extremity  rounded,  semi- 
transparent,  opaque  white,  or  pale  horn-color  ;  whorls  five,  the 
last  nearly  involving  the  others,  somewhat  girt  in  at  the  middle, 
nearly  smooth,  covered  with  a  light-yellowish  epidermis  ;  spire 
obtuse,  rising  above  the  junction  of  the  lip  to  about  one  fifth  the 
length  of  the  shell  ;  suture  deep,  apparently  double  in  old  speci- 
mens, or  rather,  a  narrow  and  deep  line  revolving  on  the  shoulder 
of  each  whorl,  near  the  suture,  forms  a  sort  of  channel ;  aperture 
very  narrow  behind,  widening  before  ;  outer  lip  sharp,  entire,  join- 
ing the  preceding  whorl  by  a  gradual  approach,  and  then  turning 
down  the  inner  border  in  the  form  of  a  thick,  slightly  attached  plate 
of  enamel  ;  from  the  front,  as  it  turns  back,  it  becomes  thicker  and 
rounded,  and  at  the  umbilical  region  it  enters  the  shell  and  forms 
a  conspicuous  fold.  Length  T\  inch,  breadth  ?4T  inch. 

Found  on  Chelsea  Beach  by  myself,  at  Provincetown  by  Col- 
onel Totten,  at  New  Bedford  by  Prof.  Adams,  and  is  not  unfre- 
quently  taken  from  fishes. 

The  same  remarks  which  were  made  under  the  preceding  spe- 
cies, as  to  its  generic  place,  apply  to  this  species. 

This  shell  closely  resembles  the  figures,  and  agrees  in  general  with 
the  description,  of  Bulla  ollusa,  of  Montagu ;  but  in  neither  of  them  is 
any  fold  at  the  base  of  the  pillar  noted,  and  our  shell  has  a  more  ele- 


168  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

vated  spire,  and  wants  the  conspicuous  lines  of  growth  which  pecu- 
liarly mark  the  British  shell.  B.  canaliculdta  differs  in  its  more  slen- 
der, cylindrical,  and  smooth  appearance,  the  broad  and  shallow  groove 
of  the  whorls,  its  very  acute  summit,  and  its  more  slightly  plaited  pil- 
lar-lip. In  adult  specimens  it  is  easy  to  discriminate  the  two  species  ; 
but  the  half  grown  specimens  are  so  nearly  alike,  as  to  render  it 
almost  impossible  to  separate  them.  Mr.  Lea  describes  and  figures  a 
fossil  species  in  his  "  Contributions  to  Geology,"  under  the  name 
of  Actaon  Wetherilli,  which  must  very  closely  agree  with  this 
shell. 

BULLA    ORYZA. 

Shell  minute,  white,  glossy,  sub-oval,  last  whorl  enveloping  all 
the  others,  and  marked  with  a  few  revolving  lines  ;  summit  de- 
pressed, imperforate. 

FIGURE  93. 

State  Coll.,  No.  120.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2387. 

Bulla  ory^za,  TOTTEN  ;  Silliman's  Journ.,  xxviii.  350,  f.  5. 

Shell  not  very  small,  not  very  thin,  translucent,  white,  regularly 
diminishing  from  the  middle  towards  each  end,  the  tip  being  de- 
pressed into  a  shallow  pit,  and  the  front  being  rather  pointed  ;  last 
whorl  enclosing  all  the  others  ;  surface  marked  with  minute  lines 
of  growth,  a  few  revolving  lines  on  the  anterior  portion,  and  a  few 
more  obscure  ones  near  the  shoulder,  none  of  them  perceptible 
without  a  magnifier.  Aperture  as  long  as  the  shell,  narrow  be- 
hind, and  widening  forwards  ;  outer  lip  simple  and  sharp,  com- 
mencing beyond  the  axis  of  the  shell,  and  rising  a  little,  then 
turns,  and  passes  forwards  by  a  regular  curve ;  the  left  margin  is 
thickened,  and  forms  a  smooth,  glossy  pillar,  which  is  twisted  so 
as  to  form  an  oblique  fold  ;  at  the  base  it  terminates  abruptly,  so  as 
almost  to  form  an  obtuse  tooth ;  a  thick  callus,  commencing  at 
the  junction  of  the  outer  lip,  runs  round  within  the  whorl,  giving 
strength  to  the  region  of  the  spire.  There  is  no  umbilical  open- 
ing either  at  the  tip  or  base.  Length  -/•$  inch,  breadth  TV  inch. 

Found  by  Professor  Adams  in  the  mud  of  New  Bedford  har- 
bour. It  was  originally  found  by  Colonel  Totten  in  the  harbour 
of  Newport.  It  seems  not  to  have  passed  Cape  Cod. 


COLIMACEA.  MOLL  USC  A.  H.ELIX.       169 

In  solidity,  color,  polish  and  general  shape,  this  is  allied  to  B. 
Gouldii ;  but  is  much  smaller,  and  is  at  once  distinguished  by  its  ex- 
hibiting no  spire. 

BULLA    LINEOLATA. 

Shell  minute,  ovate,  ferruginous ;  whorls  three,  the  last  envelop- 
ing all  the  others,  and  marked  with  numerous  revolving  lines  ; 
aperture  dilated  anteriorly. 

FIGURE  99. 

State  Coll.,  No.  115.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2386. 

Bulk  lineolkta,  COCTHOUY  ;  Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  ii.  179,  pi.  3,  f.  15. 

Shell  very  small,  oblong-ovate,  broadest  anteriorly,  very  thin 
and  fragile,  covered  with  a  thin,  rust-colored  epidermis  ;  whorls 
three,  forming  a  flattened  spire,  the  outer  one  somewhat  in- 
flated, and  delicately  marked  with  numerous,  impressed,  re- 
volving lines  ;  aperture  extending  the  whole  length  of  the  shell, 
very  narrow  behind,  and  rapidly  widening  forwards,  so  that  the 
lip  is  broadly  rounded  in  front  ;  the  pillar  has  a  faint  oblique  fold 
near  the  middle.  Within  glossy,  yellowish-white.  Length  -£$ 
inch,  breadth  ^\  inch. 

Several  specimens  of  this  very  delicate  and  very  singular  shell 
have  been  taken  from  the  stomachs  of  fishes  caught  in  the  Bay. 

It  appears  like  a  diminutive  specimen  of  Bulla  ligndria,  but  its 
somewhat  elevated  spire  is  one  good  distinctive  mark.  The  revolving 
lines  are  rather  distant,  regularly  disposed,  and  always  conspicuous 
under  a  magnifier. 

FAMILY   COLIMACEJl,  LAM. 

Animal  terrestrial,  breathing  air,  tentacula  cylindrical,  bearing  eyes.  Shell 
spiral,  destitute  of  any  external  prominences  except  ridges  of  increase,  the  outer 
lip  often  reflected. 

GENUS  HELIX,  LIN. 

Shell  orbicular  or  sub-globular,  spire  not  much  elevated ;  aper- 
ture oblique,  broader  than  long;  the  pillar  and  outer  lip  continu- 
ous, simple  or  armed  with  teeth. 

22 


170     INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

HELIX  ALBO'LABRIS. 

Shell  orbicular  ^conical,  yellowish  horn-color ;  whorls  five  or  six, 
convex,  marked  with  the  lines  of  growth,  and  minute  revolving 
lines;  lip  white,  broadly  reflected;  umbilicus  closed. 

FIGURE  101. 

State  Coll.,  No.  101.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1008. 

Helix  albolabris,  SAY  ;  Nicholson's  Encyc.,  (Amcr.  ed.,)  iv.  pi.  1,  f.  1.  Long's  2d 
Expedition  to  St.  Peter's  River,  ii.  258.  Amer.  Conch,  pi.  13.  FE'RUSSAC  ;  Hist, 
des  Moll.,  pi.  43,  f.  1  to  3.  BINNEY  j  Monogr.,  pi.  2.  Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  i. 
475,  pi.  13. 

Cochlea  Virginiana,  LISTER  ;   Conch.,  t.  47,  f.  45. 

Shell  orbicular,  depressed-conical,  thin,  shining,  of  a  yellowish- 
brown  or  russet-color  ;  whorls  five  to  six,  rounded,  separated  by 
a  well-defined  suture,  and  forming  a  moderately  elevated  spire, 
regularly  and  distinctly  wrinkled  by  the  lines  of  growth,  which  are 
crossed  by  very  numerous,  delicate,  revolving  hair  lines,  scarcely 
visible  without  a  magnifier  ;  aperture  semi-elliptical,  contracted 
by  the  lip,  which  is  white  and  very  broadly  reflected  ;  outer  edge 
sharp,  somewhat  waved,  and  colored  orange  on  the  back  ;  umbili- 
cus, covered  by  the  extremity  of  the  lip.  Diameter  generally 
over  one  inch. 

The  animal  varies  in  color,  sometimes  being  pure  white, 
cream-color,  or  grayish  ;  head  brownish  above  ;  tentacula  dusky 
at  tip ;  eyes  black  ;  back  shagreened  with  glandular  tubercles  ; 
foot  rather  more  than  twice  the  diameter  of  the  shell,  pointed  be- 
hind. 

Found  in  large  numbers  in  all  the  partially  cleared  forests  of 
New  England,  sheltered  in  the  moist  mould  under  decaying  logs 
and  rotten  stumps  ;  and  sometimes  about  stone  walls  and  rocks  in 
the  open  fields.  It  is  found  in  all  the  States,  except,  perhaps, 
the  southernmost. 

This  is  our  largest  snail,  and,  though  so  simple  in  its  structure  and 
coloring,  is  a  pleasing  shell.  Its  delicately  striated  surface,  and 
broad,  white  lip,  cannot  fail  to  gain  admiration.  It  is  subject  to  very 
little  variety,  the  principal  variations  being  its  want  of  the  white  re- 


COLIMACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  HELIX.        171 

fleeted  lip,  and  an  open  umbilicus  in  its  immature  stages.  It  has 
no  tooth  on  the  pillar,  like  H.  thyroidus,  and  H.  zaleta^  is  smaller 
than  the  former,  and  less  globular  than  the  latter. 

The  economy  of  these  animals  may  be  briefly  stated  as  follows. 
They  subsist  upon  decaying  leaves  and  vegetable  fibre,  under  which 
they  usually  shelter  themselves.  In  moist  weather,  and  after  showers, 
they  issue  from  their  retreats,  and  crawl  over  the  leaves  or  up  the 
trunks  of  trees,  until  driven  back  by  a  change  of*  weather.  In  early- 
spring  they  are  often  seen  collected  in  groups  on  the  sunny  side  of 
rocks.  In  June  they  deposit  their  eggs,  to  the  number  of  thirty  to 
eighty  in  the  light  mould  by  the  side  of  rocks  and  logs.  These  are 
white,  opaque,  and  elastic ;  and  in  about  twenty  to  thirty  days  the 
young  animal  issues  from  them  with  a  shell  consisting  of  one  whorl 
and  a  half.  In  October  they  cease  to  feed,  and  select  a  place  under 
some  log  or  stone  where  they  may  be  sheltered  for  the  winter,  and 
there  they  fix  themselves,  v/ith  the  mouth  upwards.  This  they  close 
by  secreting  a  thin,  transparent  membrane,  and  as  the  weather  be- 
comes cold,  they  grow  torpid,  and  remain  in  that  state  until  the 
warmth  of  spring  excites  them  to  break  down  the  barrier,  and  enter 
upon  a  new  campaign  of  duty  and  pleasure. 

HELIX  THYRO'IDUS. 

Shell  convex,  yellowish  horn-color ;  whorls  Jive,  delicately 
wrinkled;  aperture  rounded;  lip  white,  widely  reflected ;  pillar 
with  a  single  white  tooth ;  umbilicus  partial. 

FIGURE    108. 
State  Coll.,  No.  100.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1015. 

Helix  thyroidus,  SAY  ;  Mch.  Encyc.,  (Amer.  ed.,)  iv.  Journ  Acad.  J\fat.  Sc.  i.  123, 
ii.  161.  Amer.  Conch.,  pi.  13,  f.  2.  FE'RUSSAC  ;  Hist,  des  Moll.,  pi.  49  A.  f.  4. 
DESHAYES;  Encyc.  Mith.,  Vers,  ii.  230.  LAM.;  An.  sans.  Vert.,  viii.  114. 
BINNEY  ;  Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  ii.  pi.  18. 

Cochlea  umbilicata,  LISTER  ;  Conch.,  t.  91 ,  f.  91. 

Cochlea  terrestris  Virginiana,  SCHROET.;  Einl.  in  Conch.,  ii.  192. 

Mesodon  leucodon,  RAFINESQ.UE. 

Shell  rounded,  convex,  of  a  uniform  yellowish-brown  or  russet- 
color  ;  whorls  about  five,  convex,  marked  with  delicate  and 
parallel  lines  of  growth;  suture  distinct;  aperture  broad,  semi- 
lunar,  contracted  by  the  lip  ;  lip  white,  widely  reflected,  and 


172  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

sometimes  grooved,  its  exterior  yellowish  ;  at  the  inner  side,  on 
the  last  whorl,  is  a  white,  tooth-like  tubercle,  placed  obliquely  ; 
umbilicus  exhibiting  only  one  volution,  and  partially  covered  by 
the  reflected  lip.  Diameter  about  three  fourths  of  an  inch. 

Animal  of  a  dirty  yellowish-color,  with  a  greyish  hue  in  some 
individuals  ;  tentacula  darker  ;  eyes  black  ;  base  of  the  foot  dirty 
white  ;  length  equal  to  twice  the  diameter  of  the  shell. 

Found  in  nearly  all  parts  of  this  State,  but  by  no  means  com- 
mon. It  is  numerous  in  all  the  Southern  and  Western  States. 

This  is  a  plain  but  pretty  shell,  bearing  a  great  resemblance  to  H. 
albolabris,  yet  readily  distinguished  from  it.  It  is  a  smaller  shell, 
more  globose ;  its  aperture  is  more  oblique,  and  the  partially  closed 
umbilicus  and  tooth  on  the  inner  lip  are  specially  characteristic.  It 
varies  considerably  in  its  size,  and  in  the  degree  of  its  convexity. 
The  umbilicus  is  sometimes  entirely  closed  ;  and  in  immature  shells 
the  tooth  is  generally  wanting.  It  is  occasionally  found  reversed. 

HELIX  HORTE'NSIS. 

Shell  sub-globose,  thin,  smooth,  greenish-yellow,  or  variously 
banded  with  brown ;  lip  reflexed,  white,  thickened  within ;  umbil- 
icus closed. 

State  Coll.,  No.  102.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  994  to  996,  1062. 

Helix  hortensis,   MULLER;  Verm.,  52,  No.  247.    BORN;  Mus.  t.  16,  f.  18,  19. 

CHEMN.;  Conch.,  ix.  t.  133,  f.  1199  to  1201.     DRAPARNAUD  ;  Moll.,  pi.  6,  f.  6. 

FE'RUSSAC  ;  Hist,  des  Moll.,  pi.  35  and  36.    LAM.  ;  An.  sans  Vert.,  viii.  55,  where 

references  to  numerous  other  works  may  be  seen. 
Helix  sub-globosa,  BINNEV  ;  Bast.  Journ.  JVaf.  Hist.,  i.  485,  pi.  17.    Monogr.,  pi.  6. 

Shell  sub-globular,  thin,  smooth,  and  shining  ;  whorls  four  or 
five,  convex,  with  apparent  lines  of  growth  ;  suture  distinct  ;  ter- 
mination of  the  outer  whorl  declining  ;  aperture  rounded,  slightly 
contracted  at  the  base  by  the  thickening  and  inflection  of  the  lip  ; 
lip  slightly  reflected,  white,  thickened  within ;  base  somewhat 
convex,  umbilicus  covered  ;  general  color  greenish-yellow,  more 
or  less  dark  ;  sometimes  plain,  but  generally  variously  banded 
with  dark  reddish-brown.  Diameter  about  three  fourths  of  an 
inch. 

The  animal  has  the  head  and  neck  blackish,  with  a  slight  tinge 


COLIMACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  HELIX.       173 

of  brown  ;  tentacula  smoky  ;  eyes  black  ;  base  of  foot  inky,  tip 
dirty  flesh-color  ;  respiratory  orifice  surrounded  by  a  dark  circle  ; 
length  about  twice  the  diameter  of  the  shell. 

Inhabits  the  sea-coast,  and  is  common  on  the  lower  parts  of 
Cape  Cod  and  Cape  Ann.  It  is  very  abundant  on  Salt  Island, 
near  Gloucester.  It  has  been  noticed  in  the  region  of  Portland, 
Maine,  and  along  the  banks  of  the  St.  Lawrence. 

This  species,  so  abundant  in  Europe,  and  so  well  known  in  every 
cabinet,  has  been  undoubtedly  imported  to  this  continent,  and  has  not 
as  yet  made  great  advances  into  the  interior.  The  specimens  first 
discovered  by  Dr.  Binney  were  all  of  the  plain,  greenish-yellow  va- 
riety ;  and,  though  he  could  not  fail  to  perceive  their  affinity  to  the  H. 
hortensis,  he  thought  he  discovered  differences  enough  to  entitle  them 
to  a  specific  distinction,  and  therefore  described  them  under  the  name 
H.  sub-glolbsa.  But  numerous  specimens  have  since  been  brought 
from  the  same  vicinity,  bearing  all  the  various  zones  of  the  European 
specimens.  His  remarks  on  the  manner  in  which  the  epiphragm, 
which  closes  up  the  orifice  in  winter,  is  formed,  are  curious.  Unlike 
other  American  species,  they  are  not  found  burrowing  under  stones 
and  decayed  leaves,  but  on  the  ground,  and  crawling  up  the  stems  of 
plants. 

The  best  authorities  now  regard  the  H.  hortensis  of  authors  as 
merely  a  variety  of  H.  nemoralis,  Lin.,  with  a  white  instead  of  a 
dark  lip. 

HELIX  TRIDENTA'TA. 

Shell  depressed,  yellowish  horn-colored ;  whorls  obliquely 
wrinkled  ;  aperture  contracted,  three-lobed,  two  teeth  on  the  outer 
lip,  and  a  curved  one  on  the  pillar ;  lip  reflexed,  white ;  umbilicus 
deep. 

FIGURE  115. 
State  Coll.,  No.  103.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1019. 

Helix  tridentata,  SAY  ;  Nich.  Encyc.,  (Amer.  ed.)  iv.  FE'RUSSAC  ;  Hist,  des  Moll., 
pi.  51,  f.  3.  DESHAYES  ;  Encyc.  M6th.,  Vers,  ii.  213.  LAM.;  An.  sans  Vert., 
viii.  115.  WOOD;  Index,  Suppl.,  pi.  7,  f.  2.  BINNEY;  Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist., 
iii.  pi.  22,  f.  1. 

Shell  flattened,  slightly  convex  above  and  below,  yellowish 
horn-colored  ;  whorls  four  and  a  half  to  six,  slightly  convex, 


174  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

crossed  obliquely  with  numerous  fine  and  regular  lines  of  growth  ; 
aperture  contracted,  rendered  trilobate  by  the  presence  of  two 
small,  pointed  teeth  on  the  outer  lip  ;  opposite  the  middle  lobe, 
placed, obliquely  on  the  inner  lip,  is  a  thin,  somewhat  curved, 
white  tooth  ;  lip  broad,  white,  partially  reflected,  with  a  constric- 
tion behind  it ;  umbilicus  not  large,  deep,  and  partly  covered  by 
the  extremity  of  the  reflected  lip.  Diameter  about  half  an  inch. 

Jlnimal  dark-bluish  slate-color,  deeper  on  the  head,  back  and 
tentacula  ;  foot  nearly  twice  as  long  as  the  diameter  of  the  shell. 

This  well-marked  species  is  not  found  near  the  sea-coast,  and 
but  rarely  in  the  forests,  at  the  western  part  of  this  State.  It  in- 
habits all  the  Atlantic  States,  and  those  north  of  the  Ohio. 

It  varies  much  in  size  and  other  respects,  in  different  localities. 
Specimens  from  this  region  have  the  lip  narrow,  the  teeth  small,  the 
aperture  but  slightly  contracted,  the  spire  depressed,  and  are  of  a 
medium  size.  In  Ohio  it  is  larger,  in  Florida  much  smaller. 

Dr.  Binney  regards  the  H.  fallax  of  Say,  as  a  variety  of  this  species, 
in  which  the  spire  is  more  elevated,  and  the  parts  about  the  aperture 
greatly  developed,  so  that  the  aperture  is  nearly  closed  by  the  teeth 
and  the  stricture  behind  the  lip ;  the  upper  lip-tooth  has  often  two  or 
three  points,  and  the  tooth  on  the  inner  lip  extends  quite  to  the  base  of 
the  shell,  so  as  to  unite  with  the  extremity  of  the  lip. 

The  middle  one  of  the  three  lobes  is  smallest,  and  their  outline  reg- 
ularly arched,  so  as  to  resemble  somewhat  the  ace  of  clubs. 

HELIX  MO'NODON. 

Shell  rather  depressed,  dusky  horn-color,  hispid ;  aperture 
semilunar ;  lip  white,  reflexed ;  with  a  single  elongated  tooth  fixed 
obliquely  to  the  pillar ;  umbilical  region  excavated. 

FIGURE    113. 
State  Coll.,  No.  105.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1054. 

Helix  monodon,  RACKETT  ;  Lin.   Trans.,  xiii.  42,  pi.  8,  f.  2.    BINNEY  ;  Bost. 
Journ.  JVof.  Hist.,  Hi.  pi.  14,  f.  1. 

Shell  slightly  convex  ;  whorls  five  or  six,  narrow,  diminishing 
very  gradually  in  breadth  from  the  outer  whorl  to  the  apex,  mark- 
ed with  very  fine  lines  of  growth,  and  covered  with  a  dark  russet 


COLIMACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  HELIX.       175 

or  chestnut-colored  epidermis,  which  is  beset  with  very  minute, 
hair-like  projections  ;  aperture  contracted  by  a  deep  groove  be- 
hind the  lip  ;  lip  white,  narrow,  reflexed,  a  little  grooved  on  its 
face,  extending  on  the  base  to  the  umbilicus  and  slightly  contract- 
ing it,  and  its  outer  edge  not  projecting  beyond  the  surface  of  the 
whorl ;  umbilicus  deep,  not  exhibiting  all  the  volutions,  partially 
covered  by  the  lip  ;  base  rounded,  very  much  excavated  at  the 
umbilical  region,  with  a  compressed,  elongated  white  tooth  at  the 
edge  of  the  aperture.  Greatest  diameter  nearly  half  an  inch. 

Animal  yellowish-brown,  darker  on  the  head  and  tentacula. 
Foot  narrow,  cylindrical,  half  as  long  again  as  the  diameter  of  the 
shell,  terminating  in  a  point.  Eyes  black. 

Found  in  the  middle  and  western  parts  of  this  State,  sometimes 
in  forests  with  other  species,  but  more  commonly  on  the  hill-side 
pastures  under  stones,  where  other  species  rarely  occur.  Two 
individuals  are  commonly  found  together.  It  is  also  found  in  the 
Northern  and  Northwestern  States. 

The  hairy  processes  are  most  conspicuous  in  young  shells,  but  are 
often  wanting  at  every  stage  of  growth.  The  oblique  lines  of  growth 
are  so  minute,  that  the  shell  often  appears  quite  smooth  and  shining. 

This  species  and  H.fraterna  of  Say  are  very  similar,  if  not  identi- 
cal. He  separates  his  species  on  account  of  the  almost  invariable 
closure  of  the  umbilicus,  and  Dr.  Binney,  in  his  "  Monograph,"  adopts 
Mr.  Say's  opinion.  If  they  are  the  same,  the  name  monodon  has  the 
claim  to  priority. 

HELIX  HIRSUTA. 

Shell  globular,  hairy,  chestnut-colored  ;  aperture  very  narrow  ; 
outer  lip  reflexed,  having  a  fissure  on  its  inner  margin ;  pillar  lip 
with  a  long,  compressed  tooth  ;  umbilicus  closed. 

FIGURE  116. 

State  Coll.,  No.  104.     Soc.  Cab.,  1017. 

Helix  hirsuta,  SAY;  Journ.  Acad.Nat.  Sc.,  i.  17,  ii.  161.  FE'RUSSAC  ;  Hist,  des 
Moll.,  pi.  50  A.  f.  1  to  3.  DESHAYES  ;  Encyc.  M&th.,Vers,  ii.  253,  No.  117.  LAM.  ; 
An.  sans  Vert.,  viii.  113.  BINNEY  ;  Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  iii.  pi.  14,  f.  3. 

Helix  fraterna,  WOOD  ;  Index,  Suppl.,  pi.  8,  f.  16. 

Stenotrema  convexa,  RAFINESQUE  ; 


176    INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

Shell  nearly  globular  ;  whorls  five,  rounded  ;  suture  distinct ; 
epidermis  brownish,  covered  with  numerous  sharp,  rigid  hairs  ; 
aperture  very  narrow,  almost  closed  by  an  elongated,  lamelliform 
tooth,  situated  on  the  pillar  lip,  and  extending  from  the  centre  of 
the  base  nearly  to  the  junction  of  the  lip  with  the  outer  whorl  ; 
lip  narrow,  very  much  depressed  and  reflected  against  the  body 
whorl,  with  a  deep  cleft  or  fissure  near  the  centre  of  the  inner 
margin  ;  base  convex  ;  umbilicus  wholly  closed.  Greatest  diam- 
eter 1  inch,  ordinary  size  less  than  i  inch  diameter. 

Animal  whitish,  head  and  tentacula  slate-colored  ;  foot  slender, 
semi-transparent,  length  less  than  twice  the  breadth  of  the  shell  ; 
cavity  of  the  tentacula  apparent  when  they  are  drawn  in,  by  two 
dark  lines,  with  a  whiter  space  between. 

Found  to  the  west  of  Connecticut  River,  not  common.  In  the 
'Middle  and  Western  States  it  is  abundant. 

This  very  peculiar  snail  is  at  once  distinguished  from  every  other 
species  by  the  singular  fissure  on  the  inner  edge  of  the  lip.  There  is 
sometimes  a  minute,  tooth-like  process  on  the  inner  and  upper  part  of 
the  lip,  which  is  visible  only  on  looking  into  the  aperture.  Sometimes 
its  hairy  vesture  covers  it  at  every  part ;  at  other  times  it  is  quite 
smooth.  Dr.  Binney  has  once  or  twice  noticed  a  white  band  on  the 
body  whorl. 

HELIX  PULCHE'LLA. 

Shell  minute,  white,  depressed ;  whorls  four,  suture  deep ;  aper- 
ture circular,  lip  reflexed,  thickened;  umbilicus  large. 

FIGURE  102. 
State  Coll.,  No.  41.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1056. 

Turbo  helicinus,  LIGHTFOOT  ;  Lond.  Phil.  Trans.  1786. 

Helix  pulchella,  MULLER;  Verm.  Hist.,  fyc.  No.  232,30.    DRAPARNATD  ;  Hist. 

4/-C.,  112,  pi.  7,  f.  30  to  34.  BRARD  ;  Moll.,  56,  t.  2,  f.  9.    ALDER  ;  Mag.  Zool.  and 

Bot.,  ii.  109.    LAM.,  An.  sans  Vert.)  viii.  76.   DESHAYES  ;  Encyc.  Meth.,  Vers,  ii. 

440.    FE'RUSSAC  ;   Hist,  des  Moll.,  No.  173.     BINNEY;  Bost.  Journ.  JVat.  Hist., 

iii.  pi.  13. 
Helix  paludosa,  MONTAGU;   Test.  Brit.,  440.    RACKETT;  Lin.   Trans.,  viii.  pi. 

5,  f.  5. 

Turbo  paludosus,  TURTON  ;  Conch.  Diet.,  228. 
Helix  minuta,  SAY;  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.}  i.  123. 


COLIMACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  HELIX.  177 

Zurama  pulchella,  LKACH;  Mollusc.,  108.    GRAY  ;  Edit,  of  Turton's  Brit.  Land., 

and  Fr    Water  Shells,  141. 
Lucena  pulchella,  HARTMANN  ;  t.  1,  f.  6. 

Shell  minute,  semi-transparent,  white,  or  very  light  horn-color, 
thin,  depressed  ;  whorls  four,  very  minutely  marked  with  lines  of 
growth,  the  last  spreading  at  the  mouth  like  a  trumpet  ;  suture 
deeply  impressed  ;  aperture  circular,  the  lip  very  nearly  sur- 
rounding it,  much  thickened,  white,  and  reflected  ;  umbilicus 
large,  exhibiting  all  the  volutions  within.  Diameter  one  tenth  of 
an  inch. 

Jlnimal  pale,  semi-transparent. 

Rather  common  in  the  vicinity  of  Boston,  under  stones  in  rich 
soil,  and  about  .decaying  stumps.  It  is  probably  abundant  in  all 
parts  of  this  State,  and  has  been  noticed  in  Ohio,  and  on  the 
banks  of  the  Missouri  as  high  up  as  Council  Bluffs. 

This  very  minute  snail  is  a  very  beautiful  shell  when  examined  by 
a  magnifier.  It  has  rather  the  external  characters  of  CycUstoma  than 
of  Helix.  It  agrees  with  the  H.  pulchella  of  Muller  in  all  respects, 
except  that  it  is  never  supplied  with  the  sharp,  parallel  ribs  which  are 
frequently  found  on  the  foreign  specimens,  though  by  no  means  con- 
stantly. It  is  thought  by  some  to  have  been  introduced  from  Europe. 
But,  as  Dr.  Binney  remarks,  "  it  does  not  seem  possible  that  so  small 
an  animal,  if  naturalized  since  the  arrival  of  Europeans,  could  have 
been  able  to  penetrate  to  the  remote  points  in  the  interior  of  the  con- 
tinent where  it  is  now  found." 

HELIX  ALTERNA'TA. 

Shell  orbicular,  depressed,  fawn-colored,  barred  with  oblique, 
zigzag  lines  of  dusky  ;  whorls  five  or  six,  with  prominent  wrinkles 
at  the  lines  of  growth  ;  Zip  simple  ;  umbilicus  large  and  deep. 

FIGURE  114. 

State  Coll.,  No.  99.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1045. 

Helix  alternata,  SAY  ;  Nicholson's  Encyc.,  (Amer.  ed.),  iv.  pi.  1,  f.  2.    Journ.  Acad. 

Nat.  Sc.,  ii.  161.    FERUSSAC  ;  Hist.  Nat.  des  Moll.,  pi.  79,  f.  8,  9,  10.    DESHAYES; 

Eneyc.  Meth.,  Vers,  ii.  219.    BINNEY  ;  Bost.  Journ.  Jfat.  Hist.,  iii.  pi.  32. 
Helix  scabra,  LAM.;  An.  sans  Vert.,  viii.  66. 

Helix  radiata,  GMELIN  ;    Syst.,  3674,  No.  73.     LISTIR  ;  Conch.,  t.  70,  f.  69. 
23 


178  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

Shell  orbicular,  depressed,  slightly  convex  above  and  below  ; 
general  tint  a  light  fawn-color,  which,  on  the  upper  surface,  al- 
ternates, in  about  equal  proportions,  with  oblique,  zigzag  bars  of 
dark-brown  ;  these  bars  grow  narrower  and  lighter  on  the  lower 
surface  as  they  converge  to  the  umbilicus  ;  they  are  generally  in- 
terrupted by  a  light-colored  zone  which  issues  from  the  middle  of 
the  inner  margin  of  the  aperture  ;  whorls  five  to  six,  flattened 
above,  conspicuously  plaited  at  the  lines  of  growth  so  as  to  pro- 
duce a  rough  surface  above,  but  nearly  smooth  beneath  ;  the  shell 
has  a  sharp  dividing  line  between  the  upper  and  lower  surfaces  in 
all  its  earlier  stages,  which  disappears  only  at  maturity,  forming  a 
circular  aperture,  slightly  modified  by  the  preceding  whorl  ;  lip 
simple  and  delicate  ;  umbilicus  large  and  deep,  exhibiting  all  the 
volutions.  Diameter  often  an  inch. 

Jlnimal  with  the  head  and  tentacula  of  a  light  slate-color,  back 
brown,  remainder  of  the  upper  surface  brownish-orange  ;  eyes  black ; 
base  of  foot  drab-colored  ;  collar  saffron.  Tentacula  one  third 
of  an  inch  long,  blackish  at  tip.  Foot  not  much  exceeding  the  di- 
ameter of  the  shell,  terminating  in  a  broad,  flat,  obtuse  tip  ;  a  light 
marginal  line  runs  along  the  foot  from  the  head  to  the  posterior  tip. 

Found  everywhere  in  old  forests  and  in  moist  situations  under 
decaying  logs  and  stumps.  In  this  State  it  is  not  often  found  near 
the  sea-coast.  Dr.  Yale,  however,  has  observed  numerous  dead 
specimens  on  Martha's  Vineyard. 

The  shell  varies  in  being  more  or  less  depressed,  and  the  wrinkles 
more  or  less  obvious ;  sometimes  no  bars  are  observable  on  the  lower 
surface. 

The  animal  and  its  tentacula  are  proportionally  shorter  than  in  our 
other  species.  Its  habits  are  gregarious,  so  that  several  are  usually 
found  in  company. 

HELIX    STRIATELLA. 

Shell  small,  orbicular,  depressed,  rufous ;  whorls  six,  with  prom- 
inent lines  of  growth  ;  aperture  declining,  rounded  ;  lip  simple  ; 
base  widely  and  deeply  umbilicated. 

FIGURE  112. 

State  Coll.,  No.  93.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2391. 

Helix  striatella,  ANTHONY  ;  Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist ,  iii.  278,  pi.  3,  f.  2,     BINNEY  ; 
Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  iii.  pi.  28,  f.  3. 


COLIMACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  HELIX.  179 

Shell  small,  orbicular,  very  much  depressed,  almost  discoidal, 
of  a  uniform  reddish  horn-color  ;  whorls  four,  flattened  above 
and  rounded  below,  separated  by  a  well-defined  suture,  delicately 
wrinkled  by  the  elevated  and  sharp  lines  of  growth,  and  in  all  im- 
mature stages  presenting  a  sharpened  or  carinated  edge  at  the 
circumference  ;  aperture  rounded,  declining,  somewhat  broader 
than  high  ;  lip  simple  and  thin  ;  lower  surface  rendered  cup- 
shaped  by  a  broad  and  deep  umbilicus,  whose  diameter  is  nearly 
that  of  the  outer  volution.  Diameter  about  one  fourth  of  an  inch. 

The  animal  has  the  tentacula  bluish-black  ;  margin,  and  pos- 
terior part  of  foot,  white.  Foot  transparent,  less  than  twice  the 
diameter  of  the  shell  in  length  ;  terminating  acutely. 

Found  abundantly  in  all  parts  of  this  State,  about  old  stumps, 
and  under  the  bark  of  decaying  logs. 

The  cup-shaped  base,  and  beautifully  raised  lines  of  growth,  suf- 
ficiently designate  this  shell.  Its  form  is  like  that  of  H.  rotundata  of 
Europe,  which,  however,  is  checkered  by  darker  bars,  like  our  H. 
alternata. 

This  is  the  shell,  which,  till  recently,  has  been  regarded  as  the  H. 
perspectiva  of  Say.  Several  gentlemen  in  Ohio,  where  both  species 
are  found,  have  for  some  years  discriminated  the  two  shells;  and  in 
January,  1839,  Mr.  J.  G.  Anthony  communicated  to  the  Boston  So- 
ciety of  Natural  History  a  description  of  this  species.  After  mature 
examination,  conchologists  have  become  satisfied  that  the  Massachu- 
setts shell  is  the  H.  striatella,  and  that  H.  perspectiva  is  not  found  in 
this  region.  The  differences  are,  that  H.  striatella  is  altogether  a 
more  delicate  shell  in  structure  and  marking,  the  number  of  whorls 
is  one  less,  the  color  is  lighter,  and  the  shell  smaller  ;  the  sharp  ex- 
ternal edge  is  also  more  conspicuous,  and,  looking  into  the  throat,  we 
do  not  find  the  tooth-like  thickening  which  exists  within  the  lower 
margin  of  H.  perspectiva.  Mr.  Anthony  also  observes,  that  it  is  found 
in  low  lands,  near  running  streams,  and  never  about  rotten  logs,  the 
common  residence  of  H.  perspectiva.  This,  however,  does  not  accord 
with  its  habits  in  Massachusetts. 

HELIX   LINEATA. 

Shell  small,  discoidal,  green  ;  whorls  four,  with  fine,  elevated, 
parallel,  revolving  lines ;  aperture  narrow,  semi-lunar  ;  Up  simple  ; 


180  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

throat  with  two  or  more  pairs  of  teeth  ;    umbilicus   broad  and 
deep. 

FIGURE  103. 

State  Coll.,  No.  108.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2393. 

Helix  lineata,  SAY  ;  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.,  i.  18,  ii.  273.    FERUSSAC  ;  Hist.  Nat. 
des  Moll.,  pi.  79,  f.  1.    BINNEY  ;  Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  iii.  pi.  29,  f.  3. 

Shell  minute,  discoidal,  flat  above,  concave  beneath,  greenish  ; 
whorls  about  four,  flat  above,  higher  than  broad,  separated  by  a 
distinctly  impressed  suture,  covered  with  numerous,  parallel, 
raised,  revolving  lines  ;  otherwise  smooth  ;  aperture  narrow, 
semi-lunar  ;  lip  simple  and  thin  ;  umbilicus  wide  and  deep,  ex- 
hibiting each  volution  to  the  apex.  Within  the  aperture,  on  the 
external  wall,  are  placed  two  pairs  of  white,  conical  teeth,  the 
first  pair  in  sight  on  looking  into  the  aperture,  the  other  more 
remote,  and  seen  only  through  the  semi-transparent  shell.  Di- 
ameter one  eighth  of  an  inch,  usually  less. 

•Animal  whitish,  transparent,  thread-like. 

Found  in  this,  and  all  the  other  New  England  States,  and  in 
Pennsylvania.  It  has  been  noticed,  for  the  most  part,  under  the 
bark,  or  in  the  interstices,  of  rotten  wood  ;  sometimes  under 
stones  and  leaves  in  damp  places. 

At  first  sight,  one  would  be  disposed  to  call  this  shell  a  Planorbis 
rather  than  a  Helix.  Perhaps  it  is  the  P.  paralUlus,  of  Say.  Its 
wheel-shaped  form,  greenish  color,  revolving  raised  lines,  and  singular 
teeth,  are  characters  which  cannot  be  mistaken.  One  pair  of  these 
teeth  may  always  be  found  and  seen  ;  and  in  one  instance  Dr.  Binney 
noticed  even  a  third  pair  still  farther  within  the  whorl. 

HELIX  CELLARIA. 

Shell  orbicular,  depressed,  thin,  pellucid,  glistening,  smooth  ; 
whorls  five,  flattened  ;  aperture  rounded  ;  lip  simple  ;  umbilicus 
deep. 

FIGURE  104. 
State  Coll.,  No.  97.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1059. 

Helix  cellkria,  MULLER  ;  Verm.  Hist.,  No.  230.     CHEMN.  ;    Conch.,  ix.  t.  127, 
f.  1129,  1,2.    FERUSSAC;  Hist.  Nat.  des  Moll,  No.  212.    DESHAYES;  Encyc. 


COLIMACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  HELIX.  181 

M6th.,  Vers,  ii.  215.    LAM.  ;  An.  sans  Vert.,  viii.  71.    BINNEY  ;   Bost.  Journ. 

Nat.  Hist.,  Hi.  pi.  26,  f.  2. 

Helix  nitida,  DRAPARNAUD  ;  Moll.,  pi.  8,  f.  23  to  25. 
Helix  nitens,  MATON  and  RACKETT  ;  Lin.  Trans.,  viii.  198,  pi.  5,  f.  7.    BRARD  ; 

Hist,  des  Moll,  34,  pi.  2,  f.  2. 

Helix  glaphyra,  SAY  ;  Nicholson's  Encyc.,  (Amir,  ed.),  iv.  pi.  1,  f.  3. 
Zonites  cellarius,  GRAY'S  Turton,  fyc.,  170,  pi.  4,  f.  40. 
Zonites  lucida,  LEACH  ;  Mss. 

Shell  small,  orbicular,  depressed,  concave  beneath,  thin,  pellu- 
cid, smooth,  and  glistening  ;  whorls  five,  slightly  convex,  with 
minute,  almost  imperceptible  lines  of  growth,  otherwise  highly 
polished  ;  color  light-greenish,  horn-colored  above,  drab-colored 
beneath,  or  milky-white.  Aperture  rounded,  but  broader  than 
high  ;  lip  simple,  very  thin  and  sharp  ;  base  elegantly  rounding 
into  a  rather  large  and  deep  umbilicus.  Diameter  rather  less  than 
half  an  inch. 

Animal  has  its  upper  surface  light  indigo-blue,  darkest  on  the 
head,  neck,  and  tentacula,  collar  greenish,  eyes  black.  Foot 
narrow  and  slender,  not  much  exceeding  in  length  the  diameter  of 
the  shell,  and  terminating  acutely. 

Found  in  gardens,  damp  cellars,  about  cisterns,  and  similar 
moist  and  fertile  localities. 


wi 


i 


There  can.  be  no  doubt  that  the  H.  glaphyra  of  Say  is  identical 
ith  the  H.  celldria  of  Miiller ;  a  comparison  of  shells  of  the  same 
size  and  growth  showing  them  to  be  absolutely  similar  in  every  re- 
spect. It  was  probably  imported  from  Europe,  as  it  may  have  easily 
been,  about  water  casks,  green-house  plants,  &c. 

It  seems  as  yet  to  be  confined  to  the  Northeastern  and  Middle 
States.  The  shell  which  is  very  commonly  found  marked  as  H.  gla- 
phyra is  the  H.  inornata,  SAY,  in  an  immature  state.  This  is  a  less 
delicate  shell,  but  in  its  earlier  stages,  when  there  is  but  a  small  um- 
bilicus, there  is  no  inconsiderable  resemblance  between  the  two,  and 
it  would  accord  well  with  the  description ;  but  no  one  familiar  with 
the  present  species  would  ever  mistake  one  for  the  other. 

HELIX  INDENTA'TA. 

Shell  orbicular,  depressed,  very  thin  and  shining  ;  whorls  four, 
the  external  one  marked  with  rather  distant  impressed  lines  radi- 
ating from  the  closed  umbilicus  ;  lip  simple. 


182    INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

FIGURE  109. 
State  Coll.,  No.  106.      Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1058. 

Helix  indentata,   SAY;  Journ.  Acad.  JYa*.  Sc.,  ii.  372.    BINNEY  j  Bost.  Journ. 
Mat.  Hist.,  iii.  pi.  29,  f.  1. 

Shell  small,  orbicular,  very  low  conical,  thin,  pellucid,  very 
light  horn-color,  highly  polished  and  shining  ;  whorls  four,  slight- 
ly convex,  the  whole  spire  having  a  conical  slope  from  the  apex 
to  the  edge  ;  the  outer  one  rapidly  increasing,  marked  with  some- 
what remote,  sub-equidistant  impressed  lines,  in  the  direction  of 
the  lines  of  growth,  the  intervening  spaces  very  smooth  ;  suture 
moderately  deep  ;  aperture  large,  well  rounded  ;  lip  simple  ;  base 
having  the  umbilical  region  deeply  excavated,  but  not  perforated, 
with  very  few  exceptions,  the  lip  usually  terminating  at  the  cen- 
tral point.  Diameter  one  fifth  of  an  inch,  sometimes  more. 

Animal  bluish-black  upon  the  upper  parts  ;  margin  and  pos- 
terior extremity  lighter. 

Found  in  company  with  H.  arborea  and  H.  striatella,  about 
decaying  stumps  and  logs.  At  Oak  Island,  in  Chelsea,  I  have 
found  it  abundantly.  It  has  been  noticed  in  New  Jersey,  Penn- 
sylvania, and  Ohio. 

This  species  is  of  about  the  same  size  as  H.  arborea.  Its  color  is 
much  lighter,  its  apex  less  depressed,  its  whorls  less  in  number  by 
one,  the  outer  whorl  increases  much  more  rapidly,  its  umbilicus  is 
usually  closed  ;  and,  moreover,  the  impressed  lines,  which  look  like 
water  lines,  or  the  lines  on  a  gooseberry,  apparently  radiating  from 
the  umbilicus,  are  entirely  characteristic,  and  distinguish  it  from  every 
other  species.  They  are  not  readily  discerned  without  a  magnifier. 

HELIX  ARBOREA. 

Shell  small,  orbicular,  depressed,  thin,  pellucid,  shining  ; 
brownish  horn-colored  ;  whorls  four,  minutely  wrinkled  ;  aperture 
rounded  ;  lip  simple  ;  umbilicus  open. 

FIGURE  110. 

State  Coll.,  No.  96.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1057. 

Helix  arborea,  SAY  ;  Nicholson's  Encyc.,  (Amtr.  ed.),  iv.  pi.  4,  f.  4.     FERUSSAC  ; 
Hist.  Nat.  des  Moll.,  No.  219.    BINNEY  ;  Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  iii.  pi.  26,  f.  1. 


COLIMACEA.  MOLLUSCA-  HELIX.  183 

Shell  small,  orbicular,  slightly  elevated,  the  apex  a  little  de- 
pressed, concave  beneath,  brownish  horn-colored,  smooth,  thin, 
fragile,  pellucid,  shining  ;  whorls  fine,  slightly  rounded  above, 
separated  by  a  well-impressed  suture,  marked  with  very  fine  lines 
of  growth,  more  decidedly  wrinkled  at  the  suture  ;  beneath  very 
smooth,  regularly  rounding  into  a  moderately  large,  deep,  and 
well-developed  umbilicus  ;  aperture  rounded  ;  lip  simple  and  thin. 
Diameter  commonly  one  fifth  of  an  inch,  sometimes  one  fourth. 

•Animal  has  the  head  and  tentacula  blackish,  upper  parts  bluish, 
posterior  parts  whitish,  transparent.  Foot  thin  and  narrow. 

'A  very  common  species,  always  to  be  found  about  decaying 
stumps,  old  logs,  &c.  It  has  been  noticed  in  nearly  every  part 
of  the  continent. 

This  shell  has  very  little  to  distinguish  it  except  its  very  simple 
structure.  It  is  like  H.  celldria  except  in  its  smaller  size.  Helix  in- 
dentdta  and  guldris  have  both  a  similar  size  and  external  appearance  ; 
but  the  first  is  known  by  its  distant,  impressed,  radiating  lines,  and  the 
second  by  the  peculiar  tooth  within  its  aperture.  Ferussac  supposed 
it  to  be  a  variety  of  H.  lucida,  Drap.  ;  but  our  shell  has  the  umbilical 
region  more  excavated,  and  the  umbilicus  larger ;  there  is  also  one 
whorl  less,  in  shells  of  the  same  size,  so  that  the  surface  appears  less 
crowded.  The  aspect  of  the  two  shells,  on  comparison,  is  sufficiently 
diverse.  H.  electrina  has  also  one  whorl  less,  and  has  a  much  more 
polished  appearance. 

Occasionally,  a  thickening  of  the  shell  seems  to  take  place  at  inter- 
vals, so  as  to  produce  an  opaque  appearance. 

HELIX     ELECTRINA. 

Shell  small,  depressed,  pellucid,  fragile,  amber-colored  ;  whorls 
four,  conspicuously  wrinkled  by  the  lines  of  growth  ;  aperture 
rounded  ;  lip  simple  ;  umbtlicated. 

FIGURE  111. 

State  Coll.,  No.  107.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2392. 

In  the  size,  depressed-conical  shape  of  the  upper  surface,  the 
number  of  whorls,  and  the  rapid  enlargement  of  the  lowest  whorl, 
this  shell  corresponds  with  H.  indentata.  It  differs  in  its  darker, 


184  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

smoky  horn-color,  its  constant  umbilicus,  its  rather  thick  and 
shining  lip,  and  its  whitish  wrinkles,  which,  instead  of  being 
remote,  are  crowded  as  in  other  species.  From  H.  arborea  it 
differs  in  having  one  whorl  less,  the  last  one  dilating  ;  its  apex 
not  being  depressed,  its  thinner,  more  shining  structure,  and  its 
somewhat  smaller  umbilicus.  In  H.  arborea  the  outer  lip  lias  a 
flexuous  curve,  but  is  nearly  a  direct  section  of  the  whorl  in  this. 
Though  all  of  the  same  size  and  general  appearance,  the  three 
may  be  readily  separated,  when  seen  in  company.  Indeed,  its 
claims  as  a  distinct  species  are  not  very  obvious  without  viewing 
the  three  together.  It  may  be  briefly  described  by  saying,  that  it 
resembles  H.  indentdta  above,  and  H.  arborea  beneath. 

This  shell  was  first  discovered  by  Mr.  T.  J.  Whittemore,  about  the 
borders  of  Fresh  Pond,  in  Cambridge,  where  it  has  since  been  found 
abundantly  by  him  and  by  myself,  under  fragments  of  board  in  damp 
places,  near  the  water's  edge,  in  company  with  H.  chersina  and  Pupa 
modesta.  I  have  never  seen  it  in  company  with  either  H.  indentdta 
or  H.  arborea ;  and  it  seems  to  differ  widely  from  them  in  its  habits, 
in  thus  preferring  the  vicinity,  and  even  the  intrusion,  of  water.  Pro- 
fessor Adams  informs  me,  that  he  has  selected  numerous  specimens  of 
this  species  from  among  small  snails  collected  by  him  in  Missouri. 

HELIX    LABYRINTHICA. 

Shell  minute,  conic-globose  ;  whorls  six,  with  conspicuous  oblique 
lines  ;  lip  reflected ;  aperture  with  one  or  two  teeth  prolonged  within 
it ;  umbilicus  minute. 

FIGURE  106. 
State  Coll.,  No.  109.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1030. 

Helix  labyrinthica,  SAY  j  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.,  i.  124.  Nicholson's  Encyc., 
(Amer.  ed.),  iv.  FERUSSAC  ;  Hist.  Nat.  des  Moll.,  pi.  51  B.  f.  1.  BINNEY  ; 
Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  iii.  pi.  24,  f.  1. 

Shell  small,  rounded-conical,  apex  obtuse  ;  spire  elevated, 
whorls  six,  separated  by  a  well-marked  suture,  with  conspicuous, 
oblique-  lines  or  ridges  at  regular  distances  ;  epidermis  dark 
brownish  horn-color  ;  aperture  small ;  outer  lip  thickened,  and 
somewhat  reflected,  often  rose-colored  ;  inner  lip  with  a  long, 


COLIMACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  HELIX.  185 

raised  line  or  tooth,  which  appears  to  revolve  within  the  shell 
parallel  to  the  suture,  and  sometimes  a  second  nearer  to  the  base, 
less  conspicuous,  and  terminating  farther  within  the  aperture  ; 
beneath  flat,  umbilical  region  impressed,  and  the  umbilicus  minute. 
Greatest  diameter  one  tenth  of  an  inch,  height  nearly  as  much. 

Jlnimal  has  the  head  slate-colored  above,  the  tentacula  quite 
dark  ;  foot  white  as  printing  paper,  linear  ;  space  between  the 
four  tentacula  and  neck  lighter  colored. 

Found  in  various  parts  of  this  State,  usually  in  the  fissures  of 
decaying  wood,  or  under  fragments  of  wood  in  moist  places,  or 
in  beds  of  decaying  leaves.  It  inhabits  a  wide  range  of  territory, 
having  been  found  as  far  distant  as  Missouri.  It  is  not  frequently 
found,  however,  on  account  of  its  minuteness,  and  its  dusky  color. 

It  is  readily  distinguished  from  other  species  by  the  remarkable 
raised  lines  revolving  within  the  aperture.  Usually,  but  one  of  them 
exists  ;  but  when  both  are  present,  their  parallel  position  gives  them  a 
close  resemblance  to  the  track  of  a  rail-road.  The  oblique  plaiting  of 
the  whorls  is  very  conspicuous,  and  renders  the  exterior  quite  beauti- 
ful. The  outer  lip  in  fresh  specimens  has  a  rose-colored  tint.  The 
shell  varies  considerably  in  the  elevation  of  the  spire,  being  sometimes 
much  flattened,  and  again  it  has  a  pointed  apex. 

HELIX  CHERSINA. 

Shell  minute,  globose-conic,  pellucid,  very  smooth  and  shining  ; 
whorls  six,  suture  deep ;  aperture  narrow  ;  lip  simple  ;  umbilicus 
closed. 

FIGURE   105. 

State  Coll.,  No.  110.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2394. 

Helix  chersina,  SAY  ;  Journ.  Jicad.  Nat.  Sc.,  ii.  156.     BINNEY  j  Bost.  Journ.  Nat. 
Hist.,  iii.  pi.  24,  f.  3. 

Shell  minute,  sub-globose-conic,  thin,  pellucid,  very  smooth 
and  shining,  of  a  smoky  horn-color  ;  whorls  separated  by  a  deep 
suture,  and  so  crowded  that  they  appear  much  higher  than 
broad,  and  present  an  elevated,  somewhat  turretted  spire,  with  a 
rounded  apex  ;  they  are  so  smooth  that  scarcely  any  traces  of 
the  lines  of  growth  are  visible  ;  aperture  semi-lunar,  narrow, 
24 


186   INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

much  higher  than  broad,  of  about  an  equal  width  above  and 
below;  lip  simple  ;  base  convex,  umbilical  region  indented,  but 
closed.  Diameter  about  one  tenth  of  an  inch,  height  some- 
what less. 

Found  abundantly  about  the  margin  of  Fresh  Pond,  under 
fragments  of  wood,  in  company  with  Succinea  ovalis,  Pupa  mo- 
desta,  &c.,  and  also  in  moist  beds  of  leaves  in  forests.  It  has 
been  found  in  Vermont,  and  Mr.  Say  originally  found  it  in  Georgia, 
so  that  it  is  a  widely  spread  species. 

This  is  a  very  well  marked  shell,  not  liable  to  be  confounded  with 
any  other  species  except  H.  labyrinthica,  which  is  of  about  the  same 
size  and  shape.  But  the  coarsely  wrinkled  surface  of  the  one,  and  the 
polished,  highly  reflecting  surface  of  the  other,  are  distinctions  which 
strike  the  eye  at  once  ;  if  any  thing  further  is  needed,  the  parallel 
ridges  within  the  mouth  of  H.  labyrinthica  will  put  the  question 
beyond  doubt.  When  viewed  from  above,  its  numerous,  narrow, 
accurately  adjusted  volutions  render  it  a  very  beautiful  object. 

-i;iji;9*l  '-"'i'-'P  "(f''r>\'tu   :.nL  f<W'"     ;  h<;i;  .-.'^i-  • 
GENUS   PUPA,  LAM. 

Shell  small,  more  or  less  cylindrical,  and  obtuse  at  tip  ;  aper- 
ture irregular,  for  the  most  part  semi-oval,  and  modified  by  teeth. 

PUPA     CONTRACTA. 

Shell  ovate- conical,  whitish  ;  whorls  five,  convex  ;  aperture  sub- 
ovate,  lip  spreading  ;  throat  armed  with  three  teeth,  and  contracted, 
by  a  large  concave  tooth  on  the  transverse  lip,  into  the  form  of  a 
horse-shoe. 

FIGURE   117. 

State  Coll.,  No.  88.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2395. 

Pupa  contracta,  SAY  ;   Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.,  ii.  374.     GOULD  ;  Bost.  Journ.  Nat. 
Hist.,  iii.  399,  pi.  3,  f.  22. 

Shell  ovate-conical,  of  a  waxen  white-color  ;  whorls  five,  con- 
vex, faintly  marked  by  lines  of  growth,  separated  by  a  well- 
impressed  suture,  and  gradually  tapering  to  a  somewhat  pointed 
apex.  Aperture  irregularly  ovate,  about  half  the  width  of  the 


COLIMACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  PUPAV.        187 

lower  whorl,  broadest  above,  and  somewhat  pointed  in  front  ;  lip 
widely  reflected,  not  flattened,  so  as  to  give  a  bell-shaped  form  ; 
throat  with  three,  and  perhaps  four  teeth  ;  a  large  spoon-shaped 
one,  concave  to  the  right  side,  seated  on  the  transverse  lip,  and 
greatly  contracting  the  throat  into  something  of  a  horse-shoe- 
shape  ;  a  very  slight  undulation  near  the  top  of  the  left  lip  ;  an 
oblong,  thin  tooth,  seated  at  the  front  of  the  pillar,  so  far  within 
as  scarcely  to  be  discerned  without  breaking  the  shell  ;  and  a 
minute  tooth  about  the  middle  of  the  right  lip  ;  umbilicus  large 
and  distinct  ;  last  whorl  indented  at  some  distance  behind  the 
outer  lip.  Length  T\  inch,  breadth  -£$  inch. 

Found  about  old  stumps,  and  decaying  logs,  usually  under  the 
bark,  and  near  the  earth.  It  has  been  observed  in  most  parts  of 
the  United  States. 

It  is  readily  known  by  its  whitish,  translucent  appearance,  by  its 
bell-shaped  aperture,  and  especially  by  its  large,  spoon-shaped  tooth, 
which  gives  such  a  peculiar  form  to  the  throat.  The  teeth  at  the  sides 
may  rather  be  regarded  as  inward  protuberances  of  the  margin.  It 
appears  to  be  covered  with  a  hairy  or  glutinous  coating,  which  causes 
dirt  to  adhere  to  it. 

PUPA  MILIUM. 

Shell  sub-oval,  wrinkled,  light  chestnut-colored  ;  whorls  four, 
suture  moderate  ;  aperture  heart-shaped,  armed  with  six  teeth ;  um- 
bilicus free. 

FIGURE   118. 

State  Coll.,  No.  92.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1140. 

Pupa  milium,  GOULD  j   Bost.  Journ.  JYVrf.  Hist.,  iii.  402,  pi.  3,  f.  2$. 

Shell  minute,  of  a  nearly  oval  form,  color  a  light-chestnut  ; 
whorls  four,  or  somewhat  more,  obviously  wrinkled,  rather  con- 
vex, arranged  so  as  to  form  a  bluntly  rounded  apex  ;  suture  deep  ; 
aperture  half  the  width  of  last  whorl,  heart-shaped,  the  apex 
being  its  right  upper  angle  ;  the  transverse  margin  is  nearly  direct, 
the  outer  margin  is  scolloped  by  an  indentation  of  the  lip  ;  the 
remainder  of  the  margin  is  regularly  rounded  ;  lip  white,  slightly 
everted  ;  throat  with  six  teeth,  two  of  which  are  on  the  transverse 


188    INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

lip,  equidistant  ;  one  with  a  tubercle  at  its  base,  on  the  middle  of 
the  left  lip,  and  nearly  at  right  angles  with  the  former  is  the 
largest ;  a  fourth  is  on  the  indenture  of  the  outer  lip,  directed 
between  the  two  on  the  transverse  lip,  and  two  smaller  ones, 
more  retired  within  the  shell,  are  equidistant  between  the  two  last 
mentioned  ;  umbilicus  large  and  deep.  Length  less  than  ^  inch, 
breadth  T^  inch. 

This  shell  I  first  found  in  November,  1839,  at  Oak  Island, 
Chelsea,  after  a  warm  rain.  Professor  Adams  has  found  it  in 
Vermont.  It  was  crawling  on  the  damp  leaves,  in 'company  with 
Biillmus  lubricus. 

Not  finding  any  description  answering  to  it,  I  have  proposed  a 
name.  It  is  even  more  minute  than  P.  exigua,  and  is  not  readily  de- 
tected. In  size  and  outline  it  resembles  P.  vertigo,  Drap.,  V.  pusilla 
of  other  authors  ;  but  that  shell  is  reversed,  and  has  a  different  arma- 
ture. The  teeth  are  all  distinct,  long,  compressed,  and  very  sharp. 

I  have  labored  to  make  this  out  to  be  the  P.  ovdta  of  Say  ;  but 
on  the  whole  I  think  the  discrepancies  are  too  important  to  be  recon- 
ciled. That  shell  is  described  as  larger,  with  a  semi-oval  aperture, 
and  with  seven  teeth,  differently  arranged  from  those  of  our  shell. 

PUPA  MODE'STA. 

Shell  ovate-conic,  amber-colored  ;  whorls  five  or  six,  convex, 
wrinkled;  aperture  semi-oval \  broader  than  long  ;  teeth  Jive;  um- 
bilicus distinct. 

FIGURE   119. 
State  Coll.,  No.  90.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2397. 

Pupa  modesta,  SAY  ;  Long's  Second  Expedition,  Jlppend.,  ii.  259,  pi.  15,  f.  5. 

Shell  minute,  ovate-conic,  thin,  amber-colored  ;  whorls  five  ; 
sometimes  six,  minutely  wrinkled,  well  rounded,  and  defined  by  a 
deep  suture,  gradually  diminishing  to  a  rather  acute  apex  ;  aper- 
ture about  half  the  breadth  of  the  last  whorl,  slightly  oblique  ; 
rather  broader  than  long  ;  semi-oval,  but  modified  by  an  inflection 
of  the  outer  lip  ;  lip  simple,  not  reflected,  joining  the  preceding 
whorl  behind,  by  a  curve  ;  teeth  five,  slender,  sharp  and  direct,  like 
the  teeth  of  a  comb  ;  one  on  the  middle  of  the  transverse  lip,  a 
still  larger  one  at  right  angles  on -the  middle  of  the  pillar  lip,  a 


COLIMACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  PUPA.       189 

minute  one  at  the  front  of  the  pillar,  and  two  farther  within  the 
shell,  one  opposite  the  tooth  on  the  transverse  lip,  the  other  on 
the  indentation  of  the  outer  lip  ;  umbilicus  small,  distinct. 
Length  ^  inch,  breadth  ^  inch. 

Inhabits  damp,  rich  places,  near  water,  or  in  fertile  fields  under 
bits  of  board,  chips,  sticks,  &tc.  It  was  first  noticed  in  this 
region  by  Mr.  T.  J.  Whittemore,  at  Cambridge.  Mr.  Say 
found  his  specimens  in  the  North  West  Territory. 

It  is  a  very  small,  but  interesting  shell ;  double  the  size,  however, 
of  the  preceding  species,  and  of  a  much  more  conical  shape.  Their 
color  is  similar.  In  their  armature  the  two  are  very  different.  The 
pillar  lip  is  somewhat  broad  and  flattened. 

Mr.  Say  describes  only  four  teeth,  but  the  small  one  at  the  base  of 
the  pillar  probably  escaped  his  observation,  as  it  would  only  be  seen 
under  a  high  magnifier.  One  of  the  teeth  on  the  right  lip  is  often 
wanting.  I  have  occasionally  noticed  a  specimen  with  two,  and  even 
three,  teeth  upon  the  transverse  lip. 

PUPA    CU'RVIDENS. 

Shell  elongated-ovate,  obtuse  at  apex,  smooth;  whorls  Jive; 
aperture  sub-triangular,  armed  with  nine  teeth,  the  two  largest 
of  which  are  curved ;  lip  white,  broadly  everted ;  umbilicated. 

FIGURE  120. 

State  Coll.,  No.  89.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2396. 

Shell  minute,  ovate,  but  much  elongated  ;  of  a  spermaceti- 
white  color  ;  whorls  five,  convex,  smooth,  gradually  diminishing 
to  an  obtuse  apex  ;  suture  deeply  impressed  ;  aperture  sub-trian- 
gular, with  the  front  and  outer  angles  rounded,  and  the  outer  lip 
curved  inwards,  so  as  almost  to  make  the  aperture  heart-shaped  ; 
the  transverse  margin  is  straight,  and  slightly  oblique  ;  the  inner 
lip  is  also  nearly  straight,  so  that  these  two  form  a  right  angle  at 
their  junction  ;  lip  widely  reflected,  flattened,  white  ;  throat 
armed  with  nine  teeth ;  the  longest,  somewhat  curving  to  the  left, 
compressed  and  pointed,  is  situated  on  the  middle  of  the  transverse 
lip,  and  has  a  small  one  seated  at  its  left  side  ;  at  the  front, 
nearly  opposite  the  large  tooth,  almost  as  large  and  inclined  to 


190  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

the  left  also,  is  a  quadrangular,  blunt  tooth,  more  slightly 
curved  ;  on  the  left  margin  are  three  teeth,  of  which  the  up- 
per one  is  largest,  and  about  half  the  size  of  the  basal  tooth,  of 
a  blunt  quadrangular  figure  ;  the  other  two  are  minute  ;  on  the 
outer  lip  are  also  three  teeth,  of  which  the  two  upper  are  very 
small  and  pyramidal  ;  umbilicus  open.  Length  -fj  inch,  breadth 
4*3-  inch. 

This  minute  species  I  first  found  under  a  loose  stone  on  the 
ledges  at  Phillips's  Point,  Lynn,  near  the  Ocean  House.  It  was 
somewhat  broken,  so  as  to  give  an  excellent  view  of  the  teeth, 
since  then  I  have  met  with  it  not  un frequently,  in  damp  places, 
under  leaves  and  boards,  in  company  with  P.  modesta. 

The  shell  goes  on  regularly  narrowing  both  downwards  and  up- 
wards from  the  middle  of  the  lower  whorl.  Four  of  the  teeth  are 
very  small,  and  would  scarcely  be  discerned  without  being  highly 
magnified,  and  they  seem  to  be  seated  farther  within  the  aperture  ;  the 
small  one  on  the  transverse  lip,  the  basal  one,  and  the  upper  one  on 
the  right  lip  are  liable  to  be  wanting.  So  far  as  I  can  ascertain,  it 
has  not  been  previously  described,  unless  several  of  the  teeth  have 
been  overlooked.  It  is  nearest  allied  to  P.  pentodon. 

PUPA  SIMPLEX. 

Shell  minute,  cylindrical-ovate,  smooth;  whorls  Jive;  aperture 
circular,  toothless;  umbilicated. 

FIGURE   121. 
State  Coll.,  No.  93.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2398. 

Pupa  simplex,  GOULD  ;  Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  iii.  403,  pi.  3,  f.  21. 

Shell  minute,  two  thirds  of  the  shell  cylindrical,  surmounted  by 
a  rapidly  formed,  blunt  apex,  smooth,  light  chestnut-colored. 
Whorls  five,  moderately  convex,  separated  by  a  distinct  suture, 
quite  smooth  ;  aperture  circular,  except  for  a  small  section 
from  the  posterior  portion,  which  is  cut  off  by  the  encroachment 
of  the  preceding  whorl  ;  lip  simple  and  sharp,  slightly  everted  on 
the  left  side,  and  partially  hiding  a  small  umbilicus.  No  trace  of 
a  tooth  has  been  detected  in  any  of  the  specimens  examined. 
Length  ^  inch,  breadth  ^  inch. 


COLIMACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  PUPA.         191 

The  only  locality  where  this  has  been  hitherto  found  is  a  small 
grove,  a  little  northward  of  Fresh  Pond,  in  Cambridge.  In  this 
place  it  has  been  found  among  the  moist  leaves,  on  three  succes- 
sive visits  in  the  months  of  May  and  June,  in  company  with 
Helix  linedta,  labyrinthica,  chersina,  and  indentdta,  and  Pupa  mo- 
desta. None  of  the  shells  exhibit  any  trace  of  a  tooth,  although 
their  aspect,  and  the  season  of  the  year,  indicate  that  they  can  be 
none  other  than  adult  shells.  Indeed,  were  it  not  for  the  infringe- 
ment of  the  last  whorl  but  one  on  the  aperture,  we  might  rather 
refer  the  shell  to  Cyclostoma  than  to  Pupa. 

It  is  rather  smaller  than  P.  modesta,  and  about  the  size  of  P.  curvi- 
dens ;  but  the  simplicity  of  the  unarmed,  circular  aperture  distinguish 
it  from  every  American  species.  The  aperture  of  P.  modesta,  before 
the  developement  of  the  teeth,  is  broader  than  long.  It  is  the  analogue 
of  the  Vertigo  edentula  of  Europe.  • 

PUPA  EXI'GUA. 

Shell  minute,  whitish,  oblong-ovate,  rather  pointed ;  whorls 
Jive ;  the  transverse  lip  very  oblique,  with  a  small  fold  near  its 
internal  angle ;  outer  lip  widely  rejlexed. 

FIGURE  122. 
State  Coll.,  No.  290.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2416, 

Pupa  exigua,  SAY  ;  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc  ,  ii.  375.     GOULD  ;    Bost.  Journ.  Nat. 
Hist.,  iii.  398,  pi.  3,  f.  20. 

Shell  elongated,  pellucid,  tapering  somewhat  to  both  ends,  apex 
not  very  blunt ;  color  watery-white  ;  whorls  five,  rather  convex, 
very  oblique ;  suture  very  distinct  ;  aperture  obliquely  oval  ; 
transverse  lip  very  oblique,  and  having,  near  its  inner  termination, 
a  small,  tooth-like  fold  ;  another  very  small,  tubercular  tooth  is 
found  at  the  middle  of  the  pillar  ;  outer  lip  white,  widely  reflect- 
ed, but  not  flattened.  Length  -^  inch,  breadth  TV  inch. 

A  few  specimens  have  been  found  in  Cambridge,  by  Mr.  T.  J. 
Whittemore,  under  boards,  in  damp  places.  Professor  Adams 
has  found  it  in  Vermont,  and  it  is  common  in  Ohio. 

This  very  minute  species,  is  principally  remarkable  for  its  long, 
tapering  form,  large  and  very  oblique  aperture,  and  broadly  reflected 


192  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

lip.  It  is  almost  precisely  like  the  Turbo  cary'chium  of  Montagu ; 
(Cary'chium  minimum  of  Leach.)  It  is  much  smaller  than  P.  cortica- 
ria,  and  its  aperture  differs  in  having  the  tooth  of  the  transverse  lip 
near  the  inner,  instead  of  near  the  outer  termination. 

PUPA    FALLAX. 

Shell  turretted,  dusky ;  whorls  six,  smooth,  convex ;  suture  dis- 
tinct;  aperture  sub-oval;  lip  widely  reflected;  umbilicus  distinct. 

FIGURE   123. 
State  Coll.,  No.  63.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1139. 

Cyclostoma  marginkta,  SAY  ;  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.,  ii.  172. 
Pupa  fallax?  SAY  ;  Jour.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.,  v.  121. 

Shell  small,  turretted,  regularly  and  not  rapidly  tapering  to  a 
somewhat  pointed  apex  ;  color  dusky  or  light  horn-color  ; 
whorls  six,  shining,  moderately  convex,  very  slightly  and  finely 
wrinkled ;  suture  well  impressed  ;  aperture  less  than  one  third  the 
length  of  the  shell,  rounded  oval,  somewhat  irregular  ;  the  preced- 
ing whorl  forms  a  nearly  transverse  boundary  above,  and  is  usually 
enamelled  ;  the  pillar  lip  is  nearly  straight,  and  turns  abruptly  at 
the  front,  so  as  to  form  nearly  a  right  angle  ;  front  broadly 
curved  ;  outer  lip  white,  widely  and  equally  reflected  and  thick- 
ened ;  umbilicus  distinct.  Length  |  inch,  breadth  -"7  inch. 

I  have  seen  but  two  or  three  specimens  of  this  shell  which 
have  been  found  in  Massachusetts,  one  of  which  was  sent  me  by 
Dr.  L.  M.  Yale,  from  Martha's  Vineyard  ;  I  have  seen  others 
from  Rhode  Island.  It  is  found  abundantly  in  Ohio. 

This  shell  is  certainly  not  a  CYCLO'STOMA,  for  its  aperture  is  not  cir- 
cular, nor  has  it  an  operculum  of  any  kind.  It  belongs  to  PUPA 
rather  than  to  any  other  existing  genus,  except,  perhaps,  the  genus 
PA'RTULA.  If  it  is  brought  under  this  genus,  the  specific  name  must 
be  changed,  as  Mr.  Say  suggests.  He  described  a  shell  from  Massa- 
chusetts under  the  name  ofPupafallax,  which  he  says  very  much  re- 
sembled his  Cyclostoma  marginata,  except  that  it  was  much  larger. 
He  seems  to  have  re-described  the  same  shell,  in  the  "  New  Harmony 
Disseminator,"  under  the  name  of  Pupa  pldcida.  It  may  not  be  im- 
proper, therefore,  to  apply  the  first  of  the  above  names  to  the  shell 
under  consideration,  while  the  latter  is  retained  for  the  larger  shell, 


COLIMACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  BULIMUS.          193 

whicb  is  now  in  the  Cabinet  of  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences  at 
Philadelphia,  and  no  other  specimen  of  which  has  as  yet  been  found. 
A  multiplication  of  names  will  thus  be  avoided. 

GENUS  BUL-iMUS,  BRUG. 

Shell  oblong-oval,  aperture  simple,  rounded  anteriorly,  longer  than  broad, 
inhabiting  the  land. 

BULI'MUS  LU'BRICUS. 

Shell  small,  oblong-ovate,  obtuse,  smooth  and  polished,  trans- 
parent, brownish  horn-color;  whorls  six,  rounded;  aperture  small, 
ovate  ;  lip  simple,  thickened  within. 

FIGURE  124. 

State  Coll.,  No.  87.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1200. 

Helix  lubrica,  MULLER;    Verm.,  104,  No.  303.     CHEMN.  ;    Conch.,  ix.  t.  135, 

f.  1235.     PENNANT;  Brit.  Zool,  vi.  337,  pi. 85,  f.  4.     MONTAGU;    Test.  Brit., 

390,  pi.  22,  f.  6.     MATON  and  RACKETT  ;  Lin.  Trans.,  viii.  213,  t.  5,  f.  12.    TUR- 

TON  ;   Conch.  Diet.,  64.     LAM.;    An    sans  Vert.,  viii.  237. 
Bulimus  lubricus,  BRUG.;  Diet.,  No.  23.     BRARD  ;  98,  t.  3,  f.  20.     PFEIF.;  50, 

pi.  3,  f.  7.     FLEMING  ;  Brit,  rfnim.,  265.     DRAPARNAUD  ;   Hist,  des  Moll.,  75,  pi. 

4,  f.  24. 
Cionella   lubrica,    JEFFR.  ;    Lin.    Trans.,    xvi.   347.      SOWERBV;   Conch.  Man., 

f.  285. 
Achatina  lubrica,  MICHAUD  ;  Corn-pi,  a  Drap.,  51,  No.  1.   ALDER;  Mag.  of  Zool. 

and  Bot.,  ii.  110. 

Turbo  glaber,  DA  COSTA  ;  Brit.  Conch.,  87,  pi.  15,  f.  18. 
Cochlicopa  lubrica,  FERUSSAC  ;  Hist.  JVaf.  des  Moll..  Tab.  Sysl.,  55,  No.  374. 
Zua  lubrica,  LEACH;  Moll.,  114.     GRAY'S  Turton's  Man.,  188,  t.  6,  f.  65;  and 

for  numerous  other  references  see  Lamarck. 

Shell  small,  rather  larger  than  a  grain  of  wheat,  elongated-oval, 
obtuse  at  apex,  of  a  smoky  horn-color,  exceedingly  thin  and 
transparent,  exhibiting  the  pillar  throughout  its  whole  length  ;  sur- 
face very  bright  and  polished  ;  whorls  five  or  six,  rounded  ;  su- 
ture distinct ;  lower  half  of  the  last  volution  somewhat  tapering 
towards  the  base ;  aperture  small,  ovate,  not  broadly  rounded  at 
base  ;  lip  simple,  thickened  within,  and  of  a  claret  tint,  inner  lip 
a  little  thickened  so  as  to  give  the  appearance  of  a  slight  notch  at 
base  ;  umbilicus  none.  Length  T3^  inch,  breadth  ^  inch. 
25 


194   INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

Found  in  woods  and  groves  under  leaves  and  the  bark  of  decay- 
ing stumps.  On  visiting  Oak  Island,  Chelsea,  after  a  warm  rain 
in  October,  I  found  the  surface  of  the  ground  covered  with 
these  shells  in  incalculable  numbers.  Hundreds  might  be  taken 
up  clinging  to  a  single  fallen  leaf ;  as  the  moisture  evaporated  they 
all  disappeared  beneath  the  leaves.  Mr.  Say  found  this  shell  in 
the  North  West  Territory. 

The  above  description  applies  to  the  shell  in  its  most  perfect  living 
state.  After  death  it  soon  becomes  opaque  and  whitish,  and  the  lip 
loses  its  reddish  color.  In  some  aspects  the  peculiar  termination  of  the 
pillar,  gives  the  aperture  the  look  of  an  ACHATI^NA  ;  and  this  is  evi- 
dently one  of  the  connecting  links  between  the  two  genera.  Indeed, 
this  shell,  with  a  few  others,  has  been  set  apart  by  Jeffreys  in  a  new 
genus,  which  he  calls  CIONE'LLA,  characterized  by  being  sub-effuse  at 
base,  with  the  columella  partially  interrupted. 

GENUS  SUCCINEA,  DRAP. 

Shell  ovate,  rather  lengthened,  very  thin ;  last  whorl  very  large ;  aperture 
very  large,  ovate,  rounded  before,  angular  behind;  lip  simple  ;  amphibious. 

SUCCI'NEA  OVA'LIS. 

Shell  sub-oval,  pellucid,  straw-colored;  whorls  three,  oblique; 
aperture  large,  ovate. 

FIGURE  125. 
State  Coll.,  No.  76.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1653. 

Succinea  ovalis,  SAY  ;  Nicholson's  Encyc.,  (Amer.  ed.,)  Conchology.  FERUSSAC  ; 
Prodromus,  26,  No.  8.  Hist.  Nat.  des  Moll,  pi.  11  A.  f.  1.  DESHAYES  ; 
Encyc.  Meth.,  Fers,  ii.  20,  No.  2.  LAM.  ;  An.  sans  Fert.,  viii.  319. 

"Shell  sub-oval,  pale-yellowish,  diaphanous,  very  thin  and  fra- 
gile, with  nearly  three  oblique  volutions  ;  body  very  large.  Spire 
small,  but  little  prominent,  somewhat  obtuse  ;  aperture  longitudi- 
nally sub-ovate,  large.  Columella  much  narrowed,  so  as  almost 
to  permit  the  view  of  the  interior  apex  from  the  base  of  the  shell. 
Scarcely  any  calcareous  deposit  on  the  pillar  lip."  (SAY.) 
Length  ^  inch,  breadth  -2\  inch,  length  of  aperture  /T  inch,  di- 
vergence 56°. 


COLIMACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  SUCCINEA.       195 

This  species  is  found  about  the  margins  of  ponds,  and  low, 
damp  places,  where  the  surface  is  always  moist.  It  crawls  over 
the  mud,  or  up  the  stalks  of  plants  ;  and,  although  it  seems  to  be 
but  little  incommoded  by  water,  it  cannot  endure  being  entirely 
submerged,  and  seems  not  to  have  the  power  of  directing  its  way 
in  the  water,  though  it  will  generally  float. 

The  animal  is  larger  than  the  shell  ;  its  color  pale,  with  minute 
black  points,  which  are  assembled  into  stripes  upon  the  neck, 
and  into  squares,  or  bands,  upon  the  sides  ;  the  neck  is  granulate 
above  ;  a  black  line  passes  each  side  on  the  neck,  from  the  tip  of 
the  tentacula,  disappearing  under  the  shell.  The  shell  is  so 
vitreous,  that  all  the  markings  of  the  animal  and  colors  of  the  vis- 
cera are  seen  through  it,  as  are  also  the  circulating  vessels  branch- 
ing across  the  back,  and  the  heart  pulsating,  and  sending  the 
fluids  through  them. 

Further  particulars  will  be  stated  under  the  next  species. 

SUCCI'NEA  CAMPE'STRIS. 

Shell  ovate,  thin,  transparent,  pale-yellow ;  whorls  three,  not 
very  oblique,  very  convex  ;  the  last  very  large  and  turgid ;  suture 
deep ;  aperture  sub-oval. 

FIGURE  126. 
State  Coll.,  No.  86.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1254. 

Succinea  campestris,  SAY;  Journ.  Acad.  JV*oi.  Sc.,  i.  281. 

The  general  resemblance  between  this  species  and  S.  ovdlis,  is 
very  great.  It  differs,  however,  in  some  well-marked  particulars. 
It  attains  a  much  larger  size,  is  thicker  and  less  fragile  ;  its  color 
is  darker,  having  a  somewhat  smoky  tinge.  Its  form  is  much 
more  robust,  the  breadth  being  proportionally  greater  ;  the  whorls 
are  much  more  convex  and  tumid,  being  regularly  inflated,  while 
the  upper  portion  of  the  large  whorl  of  S.  ovalis  is  compressed, 
so  that  its  broadest  portion  is  somewhat  below  the  middle.  The 
whorls  are  less  oblique.  The  aperture  is  more  oval,  being  nearly 
as  broadly  rounded  above  as  below.  Common  length  f  inch, 
breadth  |  inch,  divergence  80°  to  90°. 

It  is  more  commonly  found  in  moist  places,  but  spreads  itself 


196  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

over  rich  or  cultivated  ground,  whether  lowland  or  upland,  and 
may  be  found  in  dry  weather  partially  sheltered  by  sods,  or  lying 
along  by  the  side  of  stones,  where  it  may  enjoy  the  benefit  of  the 
moisture  condensed  by  these  bodies. 

The  animal  is  very  similar  to  that  of  S.  ovalis,  but  in  general 
the  markings  are  darker,  and  the  marbled  appearance  which  its 
viscera  exhibit  through  the  transparent  shell,  combines  yellow 
instead  of  whitish  colors.  Radiating  lines  of  furrows  also  are 
quite  conspicuous  on  the  posterior  part  of  the  foot. 

It  is  extremely  probable  that  this,  is  after  all,  the  S.  amphibia  of 
Europe.  No  distinct  and  constant  difference  can  be  pointed  out  be- 
tween them.  In  specimens  of  the  foreign  shell  which  I  have  seen, 
the  surface  may  perhaps  be  a  little  more  glossy,  and  the  shell  may 
have  somewhat  more  of  an  appearance  of  solidity.  Like  that  shell, 
too,  it  varies  considerably  in  the  prominence  of  its  spire. 

I  think  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  our  shell  is  the  true  S.  campestris 
of  Say,  though  it  presents  nothing  which  would  suggest  the  character 
of  "  white  and  vitreous  lines,  irregularly  alternating." 

SUCCI'NEA  AVA'RA. 

Shell  very  thin,  wrinkled,  yellowish,  whorls  three,  rounded  ; 
suture  deep  ;  aperture  rounded,  ovate,  more  than  half  as  long  as  the 

shell. 

FIGURE  127. 

State  Coll.,  85.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1256. 

Succinea  avara  ?  SAY  ;  Long's  2d  Expedition,  Append.,  200,  pi.  15,  f.  5. 
Succinea  vermeta,  SAY  ;  New  Harmony  Disseminator. 

Shell  rather  small ;  very  thin  and  fragile,  of  a  deep  straw- 
color  ;  surface  irregularly  wrinkled  ;  whorls  about  three  and  a 
half,  well  rounded,  and  separated  by  a  deep  suture,  the  last  whorl 
composing  the  greater  part  of  the  shell,  but  not  very  broad  ; 
aperture  in  adult  and  elongated  shells,  about  half  as  long  as  the 
shell,  but  generally  proportionally  shorter,  of  a  rounded  form,  the 
curve  of  the  outer  lip,  where  it  joins  the  preceding  whorl,  being 
so  great  as  to  render  the  aperture  nearly  as  broadly  rounded  be- 
hind as  in  front.  Length  /^  inch,  breadth  ¥5T  inch,  divergence 
56°. 


COLIMACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  AURICULA.          197 

Found  about  the  margins  of  muddy  streams,  or  sheltered  under 
loose  objects  lying  about  moist  places. 

I  have  much  hesitation  in  deciding  upon  a  name  for  this  shell.  It 
is  quite  different  from  any  other  species  I  am  acquainted  with.  The 
spire  is  longer,  and  acutely  pointed,  the  body- whorl  less  developed, 
and  the  aperture  is  shorter  and  more  rounded  ;  but,  although  the  suture 
is  deep,  it  is  not  so  much  so  as  to  "  give  the  whorls  the  appearance  of 
being  almost  separated  from  resting  on  each  other,"  as  Mr.  Say  re- 
marks of  S.  vermeta.  In  this  character,  individuals  differ  very  greatly. 
Some  specimens  with  unusually  lax  spires  may  have  been  used  by  Mr. 
Say  in  drawing  up  his  description.  But  the  young  shells  present  no 
prominent  spire,  and  a  large,  rounded  aperture,  agreeing  precisely 
with  Mr.  Say's  description  and  figure  of  S.  avara ;  and  they  are  also 
always  coated  with  earth  adhering  to  a  glutinous  matter  on  the  sur- 
face. It  seems  probable  that  the  two  should  form  one  species ; 
unless  they  do,  I  am  at  a  loss  under  which  name  to  place  our  shell, 
as,  considering  specimens  of  all  ages  and  forms,  it  will  come  under 
one  as  well  as  the  other.  The  name  I  have  chosen  is  to  be  preferred, 
because  it  is  a  legitimate  Latin  word,  while  the  other  is  not. 

The  animal  has  a  dark  head,  and  gives  a  dark  color  to  the  shell ; 
the  foot  is  very  narrow,  with  a  flesh-colored  tint. 

GENUS  AURICULA,  LAM. 

Shell  oblong-ovate  ;  aperture  long  and  narrow,  rounded  in  front, 
lips  sharp  or  reflexed,  disunited  posteriorly  ;  pillar  having  one  or 
more  plaits. 

AURICULA  BIDENTA'TA. 

Shell  ovate-conical,  grey  or  brownish  horn-color ;  spire  short  and 
obtuse,  aperture  narrow,  two  folds  on  the  pillar. 

FIGURE    130. 
State  Coll.,  No.  52.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  941. 

Melampus  bidentatus,  SAY  ;  Journ.  Acad.  JVat.  Sc.}  ii.  245. 

Auricula  cornea,  DESHAYES  ;  Encyc.  M£th.,  Vers>  ii.  90.     LAM.  ;  An.  sans  Vert., 
viii.  339. 

Shell  ovate-conical,  broadest  at  about  the  upper  third,  where 
there  is  a  faint  angle,  thin,  translucent,  of  a  brownish  horn-color, 
smooth  and  shining,  often  becoming  eroded,  wrinkled  lengthwise, 
with  occasional  broken  revolving  lines,  very  minute  ;  whorls  five 


198   INVERTEBRATA   OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

or  six,  the  lower  one  three  fourths  of  the  length  of  the  shell,  the 
others,  separated  by  a  distinct  suture,  and  flattened,  form  a  short, 
blunt  spire  ;  aperture  long  and  narrow,  broadest  below  ;  outer  lip 
thin  and  sharp,  the  posterior  third  suddenly  bending  inwards  joins 
the  body  of  the  shell  by  a  very  acute  angle  ;  the  inner  lip,  usually 
covered  with  enamel,  has  two  folds  upon  it,  a  transverse  one  be- 
low the  middle,  and  another  formed  by  the  outer  lip  as  it  rises  and 
turns  within  the  shell  ;  this  portion  is  usually  white  ;  within  the 
outer  lip  are  occasionally  to  be  found  from  one  to  four  elevated, 
white,  revolving  ridges,  not  reaching  the  edge  of  the  lip.  Length 
^  inch,  breadth  T\  inch,  divergence  68°. 

Inhabits  marshes  that  are  occasionally  overflowed  by  the  tide, 
and  never  far  below  high-water  mark.  They  frequently  crawl  up 
the  stems  of  grasses  at  the  margins  of  inlets,  apparently  to  escape 
the  rising  tide.  In  October,  1839,  I  observed  great  numbers  of 
them  at  Oak  Island,  a  small,  wooded  upland  spot  in  Chelsea,  sur- 
rounded by  salt  marsh.  They  were  burying  themselves  under 
the  leaves,  and  in  the  loose  earth  at  the  base  of  rotten  stumps. 
This  spot  is  now  never  overflowed  by  the  tide.  I  have  also  two 
specimens  brought  from  Windsor,  Vermont,  which  I  was  assured 
were  obtained  there,  living  with  Planorbis  armigerus. 

The  animal  is  reddish-brown  above,  paler  beneath,  foot  about 
the  length  and  breadth  of  the  shell,  broad  before,  and  bluntly 
pointed  behind,  the  margins  somewhat  scolloped,  or  undulated, 
and  divided  across  at  about  the  anterior  third  ;  tentacula  slender 
and  tapering,  the  eyes  at  the  inside  of  the  base  ;  rostrum  nearly  as 
long  as  the  tentacula,  with  an  expanded  lobe  each  side. 

This  shell,  with  its  kindred  species,  is  very  peculiar  in  its  structure 
and  habits.  It  belongs  to  the  genus  MELA'MPUS  of  Montfort,  CONO'V- 
ULTJS  of  Lamarck ;  but  it  seems  to  be  the  received  opinion  that  there 
are  no  characters  to  authorize  a  separation  from  AURI'CULA. 

The  perfect  shells  are  smooth  and  brown,  with  usually  three  or  four 
darker,  narrow  bands ;  but  the  shells  soon  become  eroded,  and  the 
surface  is  left  rough,  and  of  a  greyish  color.  The  ridges  within  the 
outer  lip  are  not  seen  except  in  aged  shells. 

There  is  an  English  shell  named  Valuta  bidentata,  which,  if  it  is 
not  a  variety  of  V.  denticuldta,  would  form  a  species  under  this  genus. 
In  that  case  we  must  adopt  the  specific  name  A.  cornea  for  our  shell, 
given  by  Deshayes. 


COLIMACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  AURICULA.       199 

AURI'CULA  DENTICULA'TA. 

Shell  ovate-conical,  smooth,  reddish  horn-color;  spire  elevated 
and  pointed  ;  inner  lip  with  three  teeth ;  lip  reflexed. 

FIGURE  129. 
State  Coll.,  No.  84.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1220. 

Voluta  denticulata,  MONTAGU  ;    Test.  £rit.,  234,  pi.  20,  f.  5.    MATON  and  RACK- 

ETT  ;  Lin.  Trans.,  viii.  130.     DILLWYN;    CataL,  i.  516.    TURTON  ;  Conch.  Diet., 

249.     BERKEI.Y  ;  Zool.  Journ.,  v.  pi.  19,  f.  3,  (animal.) 
Actseon  denticulatus,  FLEMING  ;  Brit.  Anim.^  337. 

Jaminea  denticulata,  LEACH  ;  BROWN  ;  Conch,  of  Great  Brit.,  4/-c.,  pi.  51,  f.  6. 
Conovulus  denticulatus,  GRAY  ;  in  Turton's  Manual,  225,  pi.  12,  f.  144. 
Auricula  myosotis,  JEFFREYS  ;  Lin.  Trans.,  xvi.  368.     DRAPARNAUD  ;  Hist,  des 

Moll.,  pi.  3,  f.  16  to  17.    LAM.;   An.  sans  Vert.,  viii.  330.    BLAINV.J  Malacol 

pi.  37,  bis,  f.  6. 

Cary'chium  personatum,  MICHAUD  ;  Compl.  it  Drap.,  73,  pi.  15,  f.  42  to  43. 
Auricula  personata,  DESHAYES  ;  LAM.  ;  An.  sans  Vert.,  viii.  334. 

Shell  of  an  elongated  oval  form,  slightly  opake,  shining,  horn- 
color,  often  tinted  with  reddish  or  violet ;  lines  of  growth  very 
faint  ;  spire  elevated  and  pointed,  composed  of  seven  or  eight 
slightly  convex  whorls,  separated  by  a  well-defined  suture,  which 
often  has  a  marginal  line  revolving  near  it ;  the  lowest  whorl 
much  larger  than  all  the  others  together  ;  aperture  ovate,  broadest 
below  ;  outer  lip  thin  and  sharp,  reflexed  and  white,  joining  the 
preceding  whorl  by  a  very  acute  angle  ;  on  the  inner  lip  the  adult 
shell  has  three  white  folds  or  teeth ;  the  lower  one  formed  by  the 
turning  of  the  lip  within  the  aperture  ;  the  second  tooth-like 
and  nearly  transverse,  thin  and  prominent,  a  little  below  the  mid- 
dle of  the  inner  margin  ;  and  a  third,  minute  one,  a  little  above; 
the  lower  portion  of  the  left  margin  expands  a  little,  and  conceals 
a  very  minute  umbilicus  ;  two  or  three  teeth  are  also  sometimes 
found  within  the  outer  lip.  Length  T3T  inch,  breadth  ?57  inch, 
divergence  35°. 

Found  in  the  crevices  of  decaying  wooden  wharves,  about  and 
below  high-water  mark,  in  shaded  situations. 

Mmal  very  light  drab-color,  head  and  tentacula  darker  and 
wrinkled  ;  tentacula  about  one  tenth  of  an  inch  in  length,  globose 
at  tip,  the  eyes  kidney-shaped,  and  seated  on  a  slight  enlargement 


200  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

at  the  inner  base  of  the  tentacula  ;  foot  about  half  the  length 
and  width  of  the  shell,  rounded  behind,  two-lobed  in  front,  and 
transversely  divided  at  the  anterior  third.  Respiratory  orifice  far 
back,  on  the  right  side. 

This  little  shell  is  very  readily  distinguished  from  any  other  found 
on  our  coast,  and  seems  to  be  another  of  the  connecting  links  between 
the  land  and  water  shells,  or  rather,  between  those  which  breathe  air, 
and  those  which  breathe  water.  It  has,  accordingly,  been  frequently 
transferred  from  one  genus  to  another,  according  to  the  conjectures 
of  different  writers.  I  have  arranged  it  where  Guilding  placed  it 
rather  doubtfully,  after  a  series  of  experiments  as  to  the  nature  of  its 
respiration.  Its  habits  certainly  associate  it  with  the  preceding  species. 
It  is  widely  distributed  over  the  seas,  and  is  doubtless  conveyed  to 
great  distances  on  floating  pieces  of  decaying  timber. 

It  varies  much  in  its  characters  according  to  its  age.  Its  color 
varies  from  light  horn-color  to  deep  violet,  and  sometimes  it  becomes 
opake-white.  There  is  usually  a  single  revolving  line  of .  rigid  hairs 
just  before  the  suture.  When  young,  it  is  proportionally  broader,  and 
the  lower  whorl  proportionally  longer,  has  but  two  teeth,  and  the  mar- 
gin of  the  lip  is  not  reflexed.  A  third,  and  sometimes  a  fourth,  tooth 
appears  at  maturity,  and  also  some  teeth  or  tubercles  within  the  right 
lip.  This  is,  indeed,  made  a  part  of  its  character  by  European  writers  ; 
but,  of  several  specimens  sent  me  by  Mr.  Sowerby,  only  one  had  them. 
In  fact  it  must  be  very  doubtful  whether  the  species  described  under 
the  names  of  bidentata,  triplicata,  pusillus,  alba,  ringens,  reflexa,  and 
perhaps  Firmini,  are  any  thing  more  than  modifications  by  age,  acci- 
dent, and  locality,  of  this  same  species. 


FAMILY  UMNEANJ1,  LAM. 

Shell  spiral,  generally  smooth  externally,  and  having  the  outer  margin  of 
the  aperture  always  sharp,  and  not  reflexed. 

i 
GENUS   PLANORBIS,  LAM. 

Shell  discoidal,  whorls  apparent  above  and  below,  aperture 
crescent-shaped,  remote  from  the  axis  of  the  shell;  operculum 
wanting  ;  animal  with  thread-like  tentacula. 


HMNEANA.  MOLLUSCA.  PLANORBIS.          201 

PLANORBIS  TRIVOLVIS. 

Shell  concave  on  both  sides  ;  whorls  four,  strongly  carinated  on 
the  left  side  ;  aperture  acutely  angulated  by  the  carina,  right  mar- 
gin extending  beyond  the  plane  of  that  side. 


131. 

State  Coll.,  No.  94.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1275. 

Cochlea  trium  orbium,  LISTER;     Conch.,  pi.   140,  f.  46.    PETIVER;   GazophyL, 

pi.  106,  f.  17. 
Planorbis  trivolvis,  SAY  ;  Nicholsons  Encyc.,  (Winter,  erf.,)  iv.  pi.  2,  f.  2.     dmer. 

Conch.,  pi.  54,  f.  2. 

Shell  orbicular,  yellowish-white,  brownish,  or  chestnut-color  ; 
umbilicated  on  the  right  side,  cup-shaped  on  the  left  ;  on  the  right 
side  scarcely  three  volutions,  separated  by  a  profound  suture,  are 
visible,  as  they  disappear  in  the  umbilicus,  their  faces,  especially 
those  of  the  interior  whorls,  being  slightly  carinated  ;  on  the  left 
side  at  least  four"  whorls  are  seen,  which,  by  their  faces,  form  a 
cup-shaped  depression,  scarcely  distinguished  by  the  suture, 
except  the  last  half  of  the  outer  whorl,  on  the  whole  of  which  a 
well-marked  carina  revolves,  forming  a  margin  to  the  cup  ;  the 
carina  gives  the  whorl  a  flattened  appearance  on  this  side  ;  surface 
covered  with  fine,  regular,  raised,  transverse  lines,  somewhat 
grooved  between  them  ;  aperture  sub-ovate,  inclining  to  the  right, 
its  right  margin  more  advanced  than  the  left,  broadly  and  regularly 
rounded  ;  left  lip  abruptly  angulated  where  the  carina  terminates  ; 
lip  usually  thickened  within,  and  of  a  reddish  brown-color.  Large 
diameter  T\  inch,  small  diameter  T\  inch. 

Jlnimal  dark-russet  or  dusky,  covered  with  pale-yellowish  dots. 

Found  in  the  western  parts  of  this  State  in  rivers  and  ponds. 
It  is  widely  extended  over  the  Northern  and  Western  States. 

Planorbis  corpulentus  of  Say  seems  little  else  than  an  exuberant 
growth  of  this  shell.  The  following  differences  may  be  noted.  It  is 
at  least  double,  often  three  times,  the  size.  It  is  a  thinner  shell.  On 
the  right  side  the  revolutions  are  less  compact,  and  exhibit  a  larger 
portion  of  each  whorl  ;  on  the  left  side  the  suture  is  more  and  the 
carina  less  distinct  ;  the  aperture  is  much  more  expanded,  and  projects 
26 


202    INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

far  to  each  side  of  the  preceding  whorl.  Inhabits  the  vicinity  of  the 
Great  Lakes.  P.  trivolvis  differs  from  the  next  species  by  its  carina, 
and  the  position  of  its  aperture. 

PLANORBIS   LENTUS. 

Shell  concave  on  both  sides ;  whorls  four,  sub-carinate  on  the 
left  side  ;  aperture  nowhere  distinctly  angular,  right  margin  in 
the  plane  of  that  side. 

FIGURE    132. 
State  Coll.,  No.  83.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1270. 

Planorbis  lentus,  SAY;  Amer.  Conch.,  pi.  54,  f.  1. 

Shell  orbicular,  each  whorl  encircling  the  preceding,  greenish 
horn-color  at  the  circumference,  yellowish  at  the  sides  and  bor- 
dering the  aperture  ;  on  the  right  side  concave,  exhibiting  scarcely 
three  rounded  volutions,  separated  by  a  well-defined  suture,  and 
disappearing  in  a  deep  umbilicus  ;  left  side  presents  a  shallow 
cup,  formed  of  four  compact,  slightly  carinated  whorls,  dis- 
tinguished by  a  tolerably  distinct  suture  ;  surface  marked  with 
raised,  sub-equidistant  lines  of  growth  ;  aperture  large,  ovate,  in- 
clining to  the  right ;  lip  on  the  right  side  slightly  curved,  lying  in 
the  plane  of  that  side  of  the  shell ;  in  front,  regularly  and  broadly 
arched  ;  on  the  left  side  it  stands  out  considerably  beyond  the 
preceding  whorl,  and  undergoes  a  sudden  curve  before  its 
junction  with  that  whorl ;  the  lip  is  sharp,  very  slightly  spreading, 
and  thickened  within,  by  dark  reddish-brown  callus.  Greater  di- 
ameter y7^  inch,  smaller  diameter  ^  inch. 

Animal  dark  olivaceous  above  and  below  ;  foot  oval,  about  one 
half  the  diameter  of  the  shell  in  length,  minutely  dotted  beneath, 
and  frosted  above  with  amber  dots  ;  these  are  abundant  about  the 
bases  of  the  tentacula  ;  edges  of  mouth  honey-yellow  ;  motions 
sluggish. 

Found  abundantly  in  all  our  ponds,  small  brooks,  and  stagnant 
pools. 

This  is  a  somewhat  darker  shell  than  P.  trivolvis,  and  is  distinguish- 
ed from  it  by  its  left  side  and  its  aperture.  The  cup  of  the  left  side 
is  less  smooth  and  regular,  and  is  not  bounded  by  the  sharp,  etevated 


LIMNEANA.  MOLLUSCA.  PLANORBIS.          203 

line  ;  when  this  shell  is  laid  upon  its  right  or  upper  side,  the  lip  of 
that  side  will  scarcely  touch  the  plane  on  which  it  lies,  while,  in  P. 
trivolvis,  the  shell  would  be  lifted  by  the  lip  ;  the  aperture  has  not  the 
sharp  angle  of  the  left  side,  produced  by  the  termination  of  the  carina, 
but  in  the  young  stages  it  is  difficult  to  distinguish  the  two.  It  is  very 
closely  allied  to  P.  corneus  of  Europe  ;  but  in  that  shell  the  left  side 
is  scarcely  concave,  and  the  suture  is  deep  ;  the  aperture  is  nearly  or- 
bicular, being  almost  equally  rounded  on  both  sides. 

This  shell  has  hitherto  generally  borne  the  name  of  P.  trivolvis  in 
New  England  ;  but  it  is  not  the  trivolvis  of  Say,  and  is  either  his 
P.  lentus  or  a  new  species. 

PLANORBIS  BICARINA'TUS. 

Shell  deeply  concave  on  both  sides ;  whorls  three  ;  strongly  cari- 
nated  on  both  sides  ;  aperture  abruptly  arched  at  the  carina  of  the 
left  side,  its  lip  extending  far  beyond  the  plane  of  the  preceding 
whorl. 

FIGURE  134. 

State  Coll.,  No.  81.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1268. 

Helix  angulatus,  RA.CKETT;  Lin.  Trans.,  xiii.  42,  pi.  5,  f.  1.      WOOD;  Index, 

Suppl.,  pi.  7,  f.  12. 
Planorbis  bicarinatus,  SAY;  Nicholson's  Encyc.,  (timer,  ed.,)  iv.  pi.  1,  f.  4.    timer. 

Conch.,  pi.  54,  f.  3.     SOWERBY;  Genera. 

Shell  orbicular,  its  tube  rapidly  increasing,  deeply  excavated 
on  both  sides,  color  brownish-yellow  on  the  carina.  Whorls 
rather  more  than  three,  as  seen  on  both  sides,  forming  on  the 
right  side  a  large  and  deep  concavity,  bounded  by  a  sharp,  raised 
line  or  carina,  and  on  the  left  side  a  still  deeper,  inversely  conic 
cavity,  bounded  by  a  similar  carina,  but  of  smaller  circuit ;  sur- 
face rather  smooth,  with  faint,  irregular  lines  of  growth,  most 
distinct  on  the  right  side  ;  aperture  ovate,  right  side  broadest, 
and  on  the  general  plane  of  that  side  of  the  shell ;  left  margin 
strongly  modified  by  the  carina,  and  extending  far  beyond  the 
plane  of  the  preceding  whorl  ;  lip  slightly  expanded,  white  ; 
interior  brownish,  with  white  lines  in  the  grooves  answering  to  the 
carina.  Longest  diameter  J  inch,  shortest  diameter  -^  inch. 

•Animal  light  russet-color,  beautifully  dotted  with  amber  5  foot 


204    INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

tongue-shaped,  nearly  as  long  as  the  diameter  of  the  shell.  The 
strong  angle  of  the  aperture  fully  displays  the  respiratory  opening, 
which  has  a  jagged  flap,  over  which  lies  an  acute  groove  ;  move- 
ments sluggish. 

Inhabits  still  waters,  not  so  generally  pools,  as  the  margins  of 
large  ponds.  Not  very  common. 

This  species  is  smaller  than  either  of  the  preceding,  and  is  at  once 
distinguished  from  them  by  the  very  obvious  angularity  of  the  whorls 
on  both  sides,  and  by  the  very  deep,  conical  cavity  of  the  left  side. 
Sometimes  a  few  faint  revolving  lines  may  be  found  on  the  surface. 
The  tentacula  of  the  animal  are  usually  very  long,  but  sometimes 
one  or  both  of  them  seem  to  have  been  broken. 

PLANORBIS  CAMPANULA'TUS. 

Shell  with  the  last  whorl  distorted,  concave  on  both  sides  ;  whorls 
four,  strongly  carinate  on  the  left,  and  sub-carinate  on  the  right 
side  ;  throat  campanulate  ;  aperture  turned  to  the  left. 

FIGURE  133. 
State  Coll.,  No.  79.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1265. 

Planorbis  campanulktus,  SAY;  Journ.  Jicad.  Nat.  Sc.,  ii.  166. 

Shell  discoidal,  yellowish  or  brownish-green,  lighter  at  the 
sides  ;  diameter  of  its  tube  nearly  twice  as  great  from  side  to  side 
as  in  the  contrary  direction  ;  right  side  exhibiting  scarcely  more 
than  two  whorls,  which  are  elevated  to  an  obtuse  ridge,  and  form 
an  umbilical  vortex  very  nearly  perforating  the  shell  ;  on  the  right 
side  are  four  volutions,  distinctly  separated  by  the  suture,  which 
are  carinated,  and  form  a  shallow,  salver-shaped  depression  ;  the 
whorls  enclose  each  other  in  a  very  regular  spiral  to  the  last  fifth 
of  the  outer  one,  when  there  is  a  sudden  enlargement  and  distor- 
tion towards  the  left,  by  which  a  large,  bell-shaped  throat  is 
formed  ;  aperture  also  dilated,  and  strongly  angular  on  the  left 
side  ;  within  glazed,  reflecting  light-blue  and  brown  ;  surface 
regularly  marked  with  fine,  transverse,  raised  lines,  and  interven- 
ing grooves.  Greatest  diameter  \  inch,  at  right  angles  with  this 
|  inch,  small  diameter  \  inch. 

Found  in  the  larger  collections  of  fresh  water,  at  Fresh  Pond, 
Jamaica  Pond,  &c. 


;/r/ 

LIMNEANA.  MOLLUSCA.  PLANORBIS.          205 

This  shell  does  not  attain  the  size  of  the  preceding  species ;  and, 
when  mature,  its  dilated  throat  distinguishes  it  from  every  other 
known  species  ;  and  the  remarkable  manner  in  which  it  is  turned,  as 
it  were  by  violence,  so  as  to  4ook  to  the  left,  is  a  still  further  distinc- 
tion. The  outer  whorl  is  everywhere  of  the  same  breadth  ;  and  the 
immature  shell,  before  the  dilatation  of  the  throat,  may  be  known  by 
the  very  regular  enrolment  of  the  whorls,  and  the  very  contracted 
aperture  in  consequence  of  the  very  unequal  diameters. 

PLANORBIS  ARMIGERUS. 

Shell  flat  on  the  right  side,  and  concave  on  the  left ;  whorls 
four,  with  minute  revolving  lines  on  the  concave  side  ;  throat  with 
five  unequal  teeth  far  within  the  aperture. 

FIGURE   138., 

State  Coll.,  No.  80.      Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1264. 

Planorbis  armigerus,  SAY;  Journ.  Acad.  Nat,  Sc.t  ii.  164. 

Shell  small,  brownish  horn-color,  or  light-chestnut,  orbicular  ; 
right  side  nearly  plane,  with  only  a  slight  central  pit,  showing  four 
rounded  volutions,  distinctly  separated  by  the  suture  ;  left  side 
deeply  concave,  exhibiting  all  the  whorls,  which  on  this  side  are 
sub-carinated  ;  surface  shining,  faintly  marked  by  the  lines  of 
growth,  and,  on  the  left  side,  may  be  distinctly  seen  several 
raised  revolving  lines  on  each  of  the  whorls  ;  aperture  slightly 
inclining  to  the  left,  rounded,  and  very  slightly  modified  by  the 
carina,  very  oblique  ;  edge  of  lip  dark-brown  ;  at  some  distance 
within  the  throat  are  five  white  teeth,  nearly  closing  the  passage  ; 
a  large,  prominent,  oblique  one  is  situated  on  the  side  of  the  pre- 
ceding whorl,  and  may  always  be  seen  ;  a  very  small  one  is  by 
its  side  ;  opposite  to  them  are  the  three  others  which  are  small. 
Larger  diameter  T5T  inch,  smaller  diameter  T^  inch. 

Jlnimal  very  active,  of  a  blue-black  or  slate-color  ;  foot  long 
and  narrow.  The  shell  is  carried  inclined  at  an  angle  of  45°. 
The  respiratory  groove  is  very  acutely  pointed. 

Found  abundantly  in  shady,  stagnant  pools  and  ditches,  in  which 
an  abundance  of  decaying  vegetable  matter  is  immersed. 

This  common  shell  is  well  marked  by  its  external  simplicity.  At 
the  same  time,  the  complicated  armature  of  the  aperture,  so  unique  in 


206    INVERTEBRATA   OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

this  family,  would  seem  to  entitle  it  to  be  arranged  as  a  sub-genus. 
It  differs  from  the  preceding  in  having  the  umbilicus  on  the  left  in- 
stead of  the  right  side,  being  its  natural  place.  Mr.  Haldeman  pro- 
poses to  make  this  species  the  type  of  a  sub-genus,  which  he  calls 
Planorbula. 

PLANORBIS  HIRSU'TUS. 

Shell  light  yellowish-brown,  concave  on  both  sides,  most  so  on 
the  left ;  whorls  three  ;  surface  beset  with  revolving  lines  of  rigid 
hairs  ;  aperture  large,  very  oblique. 

FIGURE  135. 

State  Coll.,  No.  82.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1278. 

Planorbis  hirsutus,  GOULD  ;   Sillimaris  Journ.,  xxxviii.  196. 

Shell  small,  somewhat  transparent,  of  a  brownish  yellow-color  ; 
both  sides  concave,  the  left  rather  more  than  the  right,  but  the 
concavity  is  there  more  limited  by  the  presence  of  a  sub-angular 
ridge  on  the  outer  whorl  ;  whorls  three,  the  outer  one  rapidly  in- 
creasing ;  surface  exhibiting  traces  of  revolving  lines  when  de- 
nuded, but  usually  covered  with  a  dark  pigment  or  epidermis, 
bristling  with  rigid  hairs,  which  are  arranged  in  close  revolving 
lines  ;  lines  of  growth  very  faint ;  aperture  sub-oval,  oblique,  its 
diameter  from  side  to  side  shorter  than  in  the  opposite  direction  ; 
its  plane  very  oblique.  Long  diameter  j  inch,  short  diameter  y'j 
inch. 

Animal  has  the  head  slate-colored  above,  with  a  darker  line  along 
each  tentaculum,  not  originating  from  the  eyes  ;  foot  chestnut- 
colored. 

This  shell  was  first  found  by  Professor  C.  B.  Adams,  in  Mans- 
field, from  whom  I  received  it.  I  have  since  found  it  in  several 
localities  in  Dorchester,  Dedham,  and  Cambridge,  adhering  to 
sticks  in  stagnant  water  ;  and  it  may  doubtless  be  found  in  all 
similar  localities. 

This  Planorbis,  though  in  many  respects  it  resembles  in  shape 
P.  deflictus,  is  readily  distinguished  from  all  other  American  species 
by  the  revolving  hairy  lines.  It  is  the  analogue  of  the  European 
P.  albus,  from  which  it  is  difficult  to  designate  any  very  characteristic 
difference.  It  is,  however,  a  thinner  shell,  the  last  whorl  increasing 


LIMNEANA.  MOLLUSCA.  PLANORBIS.          207 

more  rapidly ;  and  it  maintains  its  yellowish  horn-color,  whereas 
P.  albus  assumes  a  spermaceti  or  still  whiter  appearance.  The  lines, 
too,  disappear  more  entirely  when  the  epidermis  is  gone. 

PLANORBIS  ELEVATUS. 

Shell  small,  whorls  three  or  four,  swelling  above,  with  the  apex 
sunken,  deeply  concave  beneath  ;  aperture  slightly  oblique. 

State  Coll..  No.  291.      Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2417. 

Planorbis  elevatus,  ADAMS  ;  Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  iii.  pi.  3,  f.  15. 

Shell  small,  light  grass-green,  translucent,  faintly  marked  with 
lines  of  growth  ;  whorls  three  and  a  half  or  four,  the  tube  not 
rapidly  enlarging,  and  considerably  flattened  ;  whole  shell  flat,  or 
slightly  elevated  above,  the  tip  depressed  so  as  to  form  a  small  pit  ; 
below  forming  a  deep,  tunnel-shaped  cavity,  the  whorls  presenting 
an  obscure  angle  as  they  revolve  around  it ;  suture  deeply  impress- 
ed ;  aperture  slightly  oblique,  its  upper  edge  on  a  level  with  the 
spire,  or  very  slightly  declining  ;  lower  edge  descending  considera- 
bly below  the  level  of  the  under  surface  ;  portion  of  the  preceding 
whorl  embraced  by  the  aperture  constituting  about  one  fifth  of  its 
circuit.  Breadth  J  inch,  height  T^-  inch. 

Inhabits  rivulets  and  pools  in  Norfolk  and  Plymouth  Counties. 

This  shell  is  closely  allied  to  P.  parvus  and  P.  Mrsutus.  But  the 
first  is  a  more  depressed,  discoidal  shell,  its  upper  surface  more  broad- 
ly and  deeply  concave,  the  lower  surface  very  little  more  concave 
than  the  upper,  and  the  aperture  much  more  oblique.  P.  hirsutus 
has  a  still  greater  altitude,  a  very  rapidly  increasing  tube,  is  deeply 
concave  above  and  below,  its  color  is  lighter,  and  its  lines  of  hairs, 
when  present,  afford  a  very  marked  distinction.  It  may  possibly 
prove  to  be  the  immature  shell  of  some  other  species. 

PLANORBIS  DEFLECTUS. 

Shell  concave  on  the  left  side  ;  whitish  horn-color ;  whorls  four, 
compressed,  sub-carinated,  aperture  greatly  declining. 

FIGURE  136. 
State  Coll.,  No.  168.     Soc.  Cab.,  No,  1266. 

Planorbis  deflectus,  SAY  ;  Long's  2d  Exped.,  (dppendiz),  261,  pi.  15,  f.  8. 


208  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

Shell  small,  distorted,  compressed,  of  a  light  greenish-yellow 
color,  something  like  dirty,  bleached  wax  ;  right  side  in  general 
convex,  but  with  the  centre  slightly  indented,  suture  distinct  ; 
left  or  under  side  concave,  forming  an  expanded  umbilicus,  ex- 
hibiting about  one  half  of  each  volution  ;  whorls  four  or  five, 
very  much  compressed,  and  reduced  to  a  somewhat  carinated 
perimeter  ;  the  last  fourth  of  the  outer  whorl  turns,  somewhat 
suddenly  and  quite  remarkably,  to  the  left,  or  downwards  ;  aper- 
ture large,  ovate,  lip  commencing  below  the  carina,  and  embracing 
but  a  very  small  portion  of  the  preceding  whorl  ;  much  narrower 
from  side  to  side,  its  plane  very  oblique  to  the  axis  of  the  shell  ; 
lip  simple,  very  slightly  everted  beneath  ;  surface  finely  wrinkled 
by  the  lines  of  growth.  Greater  diameter  T3^  inch,  small  di- 
ameter y1^  inch. 

Animal  dusky  above,  and  with  a  still  darker  ling  to  tip  of 
tentacula. 

Found  in  all  our  ponds,  clinging  to  sticks,  stones,  &c. 

It  is  distinguished  at  once,  except  in  its  very  early  stages,  by  the 
remarkable  manner  in  which  a  portion  of  the  last  whorl  is  diverted 
from  its  regular  course,  downwards,  if  we  consider  the  shell  to  be 
lying  on  its  concave  face.  It  is  almost  entirely  turned  off  from  the 
preceding  whorls,  so  that  the  aperture  comes  in  contact  with  only 
about  half  of  its  lower  face.  When  immature  it  may  be  recognised 
by  its  light  color  and  concave  form.  Scattered  hairs  may  often  be 
observed  upon  its  surface.  It  has  a  general  resemblance  in  its  struc- 
ture to  P.  exacutus,  but  the  constantly  sharp  edge  of  that  species  is  a 
never  failing  mark  of  distinction.  I  must  at  present  regard  the  P. 
virens  of  Adams  (Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  iii.  pi.  3,  f.  16)  as  a  variety 
of  this  species,  in  which  the  last  whorl  is  not  remarkably  diverted 
from  its  regular  course. 

PLANORBIS  EXACUTUS. 

Shell  lenticular,  umbilicated  ;  whorls  four,  broader  than  high, 
gradually  thinning  to  a  sharp  edge. 

FIGURE  137. 
State  Coll.,  No.  95.      Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1267. 

Planorbis  exacuous,  SAY  ;  Journ.  dead.  JYat.  Sc.,  ii.  166. 


LIMNEANA.  MOLLUSCA.  PLANORBIS.         209 

Shell  lenticular,  light  transparent  horn-color  ;  whorls  four, 
flattened  so  that  the  width  of  each  is  at  least  twice  its  depth,  the 
upper  and  lower  surfaces  convex,  and  brought  to  a  sharp  exterior 
edge  ;  the  last  half  of  the  outer  whorl  deflected,  so  that  the 
termination  of  the  sharp  edge  is  on  a  level  with  the  lower  surface 
'of  the  preceding  whorl;  inner  whorls  slightly  depressed,  and 
somewhat  more  rounded  ;  suture  moderately  impressed  ;  striae  of 
growth  faint  ;  beneath  abruptly  umbilicated,  displaying  the  edges 
of  all  the  whorls  within  ;  aperture  very  oblique  and  angular  ; 
edge  very  sharp,  below  running  forwards  a  little  along  the  um- 
bilical edge  of  the  preceding  whorl,  then  crossing  obliquely  for- 
wards and  upwards,  leaving  a  callus,  it  passes  off  again  a  little 
below  its  carinated  edge.  Longest  diameter  J  inch,  shorter  di- 
ameter f\  inch. 

It  is  found  in  most  brooks,  ditches,  and  margins  of  ponds, 
which  are  permanent  through  the  summer,  adhering  to  sticks  and 
stones. 

This  shell  has  a  striking  resemblance  to  the  P.  font&na  of  Europe, 
(Lightfoot,  Phil  Trans.,  Ixxvi.  pi.  2,  f.  1-4.  Montagu,  Test.  Brit., 
462,  pi.  6,  f.  6.  PI.  nilidus,  Mull.,  Turt.,  &c.,)  except  that  the  aper- 
ture is  entirely  below  the  sharp  edge,  instead  of  embracing  nearly  an 
equal  portion  on  each  side,  as  in  that  shell.  It  is  allied  to  P.  deflectus, 
Say  ;  but  in  that  the  whorls  are  more  numerous,  the  exterior  edge 
much  rounded,  the  umbilical  region  broader  and  more  shallow,  and  the 
labrum  also  embraces  but  half  of  the  lower  surface  of  the  preceding 
whorl.  Were  it  among  the  land  shells  it  would  be  a  most  unequivocal 
CAHOCOLLA. 

I  cannot  but  think  that  the  name  under  which  this  shell  appears  in 
the  "  Journal  of  the  Academy,"  is  not  exactly  as  was  intended  by  the 
author,  as  it  is  neither  a  Latin  word  nor  a  Latin  termination.  Sup- 
posing that  by  a  typographical  error,  an  o  has  taken  the  place  of  a  t, 
we  have  a  legitimate  term,  and  one  very  expressive  of  the  form  of 
the  shell. 

PLANORBIS  PARVUS. 

Shell  very  much  compressed,  almost  equally  concave  on  both 
sides  ;  whorls  four  ;  surface  nearly  smooth  ;  aperture  rounded. 

FIGURE   139. 
27 


210    INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

State  Coll.,  No.  77.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1283. 

Planorbis  parvus,  SAY  ;  Nicholson's  Encyc.,  (Amer.  ed.),  iv.  pi.  1,  f.  5. 

Shell  very  small  and  compressed,  discoidal,  light-yellowish 
horn-color  ;  right  side  nearly  plane,  but  excavated  at  the  centre  ; 
left  side  broadly  concave  ;  whorls  four,  almost  equally  exhibited 
on  both  sides,  the  outer  one  usually  somewhat  angulated  at  its  cir- 
cumference ;  surface  minutely  marked  by  the  lines  of  growth, 
shining,  clear  ;  aperture  rounded,  rather  longer  than  broad,  not 
inclining  to  either  side,  its  plane  very  oblique  ;  lip  sharp,  slightly 
reflected  on  the  left  side  ;  within  bluish-white.  Greatest  diameter 
J  inch,  lesser  diameter  Tlj  inch,  but  generally  much  smaller. 

Animal  whitish,  dusky  above,  with  a  still  darker  line  at  tip  of 
tentacula. 

Abundant  in  brooks  and  ponds. 

This  is  the  smallest  shell  of  the  genus  which  we  have,  unless,  per- 
haps, it  be  P.  exacutus,  which  is  commonly  found  of  as  small  a  size. 
It  is  not  difficult  to  be  recognised  by  its  regular  figure,  and  its  very  thin, 
compressed  appearance.  P.  deflectus,  armigerus,  exacutus,  and  hirsii- 
tus,  all  have  marked  peculiarities,  which  at  once  separate  them  from 
this  undistinguished  species. 

PLANORBIS  DILATATUS. 

Shell  small,  circumference  carinated,  flat  above,  convex  below, 
and  with  a  small,  deep  umbilicus ;  whorls  three  ;  aperture  large, 
expanded. 

FIGURE   140. 

State  Coll.,  No.  75.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2399. 

Shell  small,  of  a  yellowish  green-color,  minutely  wrinkled  by 
the  lines  of  growth  ;  spire  flat,  composed  of  not  more  than  three 
whorls,  separated  by  a  well-defined  suture  ;  the  outer  whorl  has 
a  sharp  margin  on  a  level  with  the  spire,  diminishing  near,  but 
still  modifying,  the  aperture  ;  below  this  line  the  whorl  is  very 
convexly  rounded  so  as  to  encircle  a  small,  deep,  abruptly  formed 
umbilicus.  This  whorl  rapidly  enlarges,  and  terminates  in  a  very 
large,  not  very  oblique  aperture,  with  the  lip  expanded  so  as  to 


LIMNEANA.  MOLLUSCA.  PHYSA.          211 

make  it  trumpet-shaped.     Largest  diameter  /T  inch,  breadth  ¥V 
inch. 

This  curious  little  shell  was  found  several  years  since  on 
the  island  of  Nantucket,  clinging  to  some  damp  moss,  and  was 
communicated  by  Mr.  J.  M.  Earle,  of  Worcester.  Specimens 
of  it  have  also  been  sent  to  me  by  Professor  Foreman,  of  Balti- 
more. But  its  characters  were  not  fully  ascertained  from  these 
few  specimens.  In  July,  1840,  Mr.  T.  J.  Whittemore  found  it 
in  great  numbers  at  Hingham,  in  a  small  pool,  southeast  of  the 
Old  Colony  House. 

It  has  a  miniature  resemblance  to  P.  Mcarinatus  as  to  its  two  sides, 
but  it  has  only  a  single  carina,  which  encircles  the  shell,  instead  of  one 
on  each  side.  Its  large,  expanded  aperture,  and  small,  deeply  sunken 
umbilicus,  readily  distinguish  it  from  any  of  the  small  species  hitherto 
known.  The  surface  is  rather  rough,  and  perhaps  a  little  hispid 
when  viewed  under  the  microscope. 

The  P.  lens  of  Lea  (Amer.  P kilos.  Trans.,  New  Series,  vi.  68,  pi. 
23,  f.  83),  which  he  received  from  near  Cincinnati,  is  probably  the 
same  as  this  shell.  His  name,  however,  is  pre-occupied  by  a  fossil 
species. 

GENUS   PHYSA,   DRAP. 

Shell  reversed,  oblong-ovate,  spire  prominent ;  aperture  rounded 
before,  narrowed  and  angular  behind,  lip  sharp  ;  inner  lip  twisted. 
Animal  has  thread-like  tentacula,  and  the  sharply  lobed  mantle  is 
turned  back  upon  the  shell. 

PHYSA  HETEROSTROPHA. 

Shell  ovate,  smooth,  yellowish-green  ;  ichorls  four,  inflated, 
suture  distinct,  surface  reticulated. 

FIGURE  141. 

State  Coll.,  No.  73.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1306. 

Bulla  fontinalis  Indies  Orientalis,  CHEMN.  ;  Conch. ,  ix.  33,  pi.  103,  f.  879,880. 

Cochlea  neritoides,  LISTER  ;  Conch.,  pi.  135,  f.  34. 

Bulla  fontinalis,  var.  3.     GMELIN;  Syst.,3407.     SCHROET;  Einl  in  Conch.,  t.  1, 

201,  Helix,  No.  84. 
Bulla  crassula,  DILLWYN  ;  CataL,  t.  i.  487,  No.  36. 


212  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

Limnea  heterostropha,  SAY  ;  Nicholson's  Encyc.,  (timer,  ed.)t  Art.   Conchology, 

pi.  1,  f.  6. 
Physa  heterostropha,  SAY  ;  Long'*  2d  Exped.,  Append.^  264.    LAM.  \  An.  sans 

Vert.,  viii.  402. 

?  ">  •' '     •  '-     *       -  '   %-.  .:,-;••,.• 

"  Shell  sinistral,  sub-ovate  ;  color  pale-yellow,  chestnut,  or 
blackish ;  whorls  four,  the  first  large,  the  others  very  small,  ter- 
minating rather  abruptly  in  an  acute  apex  ;  aperture  large,  some- 
what oval,  three  fourths  the  length  of  the  shell,  or  rather  more  ; 
within  of  a  pearly  lustre ,  often  blackish  ;  lip  a  little  thickened  on 
the  inside,  and  tinged  with  dull  red."  (SAY,  in  Nick.  Encyc.) 
Ordinary  length  about  \  inch,  breadth  \  inch,  divergence  68°. 
My  largest  specimen  is  T7^  inch  by  f  inch. 

When  the  shell  is  fresh  and  perfectly  clean,  it  is  always  of  a 
light  greenish-yellow,  and  becomes  a  little  more  dusky  with  age. 
The  surface,  under  the  magnifier,  appears  beautifully  checkered 
with  minute,  revolving,  and  longitudinal  lines,  which  are  also  a 
little  waved.  Sometimes  there  are  one  or  more  whitish,  opake 
bands,  as  if  scratched  by  the  mantle  of  the  animal.  The  thicken- 
ing of  the  lip  is  found  only  in  old  specimens,  and  in  these  also 
there  is  a  broad  layer  of  pearly  enamel  reflected  over  the  columella, 
which  has  also  a  very  prominent  fold. 

The  animal  is  olivaceous,  surface  very  smooth  and  silky  ;  the 
foot  is  kite-shaped,  longer  than  the  shell,  terminating  in  an  acute 
point ;  expansions  each  side  of  the  mouth  acutely  angled  ;  ten- 
tacula  olivaceous  above,  light  ferruginous  beneath,  long  and  thread- 
like. The  pointed  lobes  of  the  mantle  are  very  conspicuous. 

The  motions  of  the  animal  are  very  rapid,  and  it  seems  to 
move  with  equal  facility  in  an  inverted  posture,  at  the  surface  of  the 
water. 

The  ova  are  excluded,  enveloped  in  a  gelatinous  substance, 
about  twelve  or  fifteen  in  number,  and  of  an  egg-shaped  form. 
In  about  a  fortnight  they  escape  from  the  jelly,  and  move  about 
with  great  rapidity.  In  fact,  they  are  seen  in  motion  for  some 
time  previous,  apparently  struggling  to  disengage  themselves  from 
their  nidus. 

This  shell  is  everywhere  to  be  found.  Scarcely  a  brook  or 
pool  is  met  with  but  some  of  these  shells  will  be  found  in  it.  It 
is  more  especially  to  be  found  in  the  running  brooks. 


LIMNEANA.  MOLLUSCA.  tHYSA.  213 

The  difference  between  this  and  P.  fontin&lis  of  Europe,  is  very 
slight.  The  spire  may  be  a  little  more  prolonged  and  acute. 

It  is  quite  interesting  to  keep  a  number  of  them  in  a  vessel  of  water, 
and  observe  their  motions  and  habits.  The  manner  in  which  they 
open  their  mouths  and  display  the  lingual  organ,  —  the  manner  in 
which  they  rise  to  the  surface  and  open  the  air  cavity,  into  which  its 
structure  permits  no  water  to  enter,  —  and  above  all,  the  beautiful  and 
unaccountable  manner  in  which  it  glides  along,  will  never  fail  to  excite 
astonishment.  They  feed  freely  upon  any  kind  of  vegetable. 

We  have  here  an  instance  of  the  interminable  chain  of  existences,  and 
of  the  subserviency  of  one  animal  to  another.  And  it  is  curious,  too, 
that,  in  general,  we  have  the  power  to  elude  or  subdue  animals  of 
greater  strength  and  magnitude  than  ourselves,  much  better  than  we 
can  those  which  are  inferior  to  us.  On  looking  carefully  about  the 
neck  of  the  animal  of  this  shell,  we  find  him  beset  with  numerous 
little  things  looking  like  short,  minute,  white  lines,  which  are,  in  truth, 
little  parasites  (Gordius  inquilinus.  Mull.)  attached  like  leeches,  and 
which  derive  their  nourishment  from  the  fluids  of  the  animal,  without 
his  having  the  power  to  dislodge  them. 

PHYSA  ANCILLA'RIA. 

Shell  ovate-globose,  pale-yellowish  ;  whorls  /ow,  smooth;  suture 
not  impressed ;  aperture  nearly  as  long  as  the  shell. 

FIGURE  142. 
State  Coll.,  No.  74.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1308. 

Physa  aneillaria,  SAY  ;  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.,  ii.  124. 

"  Shell  heterostrophe,  sub-globose,  pale-yellowish  ;  whorls 
rather  more  than  four,  very  rapidly  attenuated  ;  spire  truncated, 
hardly  elevated  beyond  the  general  curve  of  the  surface  ;  suture 
not  impressed  ;  aperture  but  little  shorter  than  the  shell,  dilated  ; 
labium  a  little  thickened  on  the  inner  sub-margin."  (SAY.) 
Length  ££  inch,  breadth  /„•  inch,  divergence  90°. 

Found  in  Connecticut  and  Merrimack  Rivers,  Fresh  Pond,  &c. 

Jlnimal  of  a  bright  lemon-color. 

This  shell  is  distinguished  from  the  preceding  by  its  much  shorter 
spire,  more  angular  outline,  and  especially  by  its  suture,  the  margin 
of  one  whorl  being  so  closely  and  perfectly  applied  to  the  pre- 


214  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

ceding  as  to  give  the  appearance  of  a  double  suture.  The  surface 
is  exceedingly  smooth,  no  revolving  lines  being  detected  by  the  mag- 
nifier. The  base  of  the  aperture  is  somewhat  narrowed,  and  pro- 
longed downwards,  and  considerably  effuse.  The  twisted  fold  of  the 
columella  is  less  conspicuous  than  in  P.  heterostropha.  The  shell 
becomes  more  ponderous  and  yellowish  by  age  ;  and  the  reddish  rib 
along  the  outer  lip,  and  the  enamel  on  the  columella,  much  thicker. 

PHYSA  ELONGATA. 

Shell  thin,  slender,  elongated,  apex  acute,  pale-yellowish ;  whorls 
six,  polished  ;  suture  slightly  impressed  ;  aperture  half  as  long  as 
the  shell 

FIGURE  143. 
State  Coll.,  No.  284.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1307. 

Physa  elongata,  SAY  ;  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.,  ii.  171. 

"  Shell  heterostrophe,  pale-yellowish,  very  fragile,  diaphanous, 
oblong  ;  whorls  six  or  seven  ;  spire  tapering,  acute  at  tip  ;  suture 
slightly  impressed  ;  aperture  not  dilated,  attenuated  above,  about 
half  as  long  as  the  shell ;  columella  much  narrowed  near  the  base, 
so  that  the  view  may  be  partially  extended  from  the  base  towards 
the  apex."  (SAY.)  Length  J  inch,  breadth  i  inch,  diver- 
gence 34°. 

Found  in  stagnant  waters  in  all  the  northern  and  western  parts 
of  the  United  States.  In  the  vicinity  of  Boston  it  is  rare. 

•Animal  dusky,  the  head  above  of  an  orange  hue  ;  tentacula 
rather  short  and  blunt,  lighter  at  tip  ;  respiratory  groove  long, 
narrow  and  thin,  movable  in  various  directions,  almost  as  long  as 
a  tentacle,  with  two  black  spots  like  eyes  near  its  tip. 

This  species  is  easily  recognised  by  its  slender,  elongated  form, 
and  the  great  proportionate  length  of  the  spire.  It  is  in  every  respect 
similar  to  P.  hypnorum  of  Europe,  unless,  perhaps,  its  spire  may  be 
somewhat  more  produced. 

It  is  not  very  common  in  Massachusetts,  and  is  seldom  found  as 
long  as  the  above  dimensions ;  while  Mr.  Say  gives  it  T7^  of  an  inch 
in  Illinois. 

It  probably  belongs  to  the  genus  APL£XUS  of  Gray  ( Turton's  Man., 
255),  which  he  institutes  upon  the  elongated  form  of  the  shell,  the 


LIMNEANA.  MOLLUSCA.  LIMNJEA.       215 

want  of  auricles  at  the  base  of  the  tentacula,  and  the  simple,  entire 
edge  of  the  mantle.  This  latter  point  I  did  not  notice,  when  the  ani- 
mal was  before  me. 

Mr.  Say  describes  the  animal  as  black,  and  spotless  above  and  be- 
low ;  tentacula  with  a  white  ring  at  base.  He  must  have  observed 
them  at  a  more  advanced  age  than  any  I  have  seen  living ;  or  else 
the  species  observed  are  different. 

GENUS  LIMN^EA,  LAM. 

I 

Shell  thin,  oblong  or  turreted,  last  whorl  large ;  aperture  large, 
rounded  before,  narrowed  and  acute  behind,  outer  lip  sharp,  inner 
lip  forming  a  fold  on  the  pillar,  and  usually  spreading  over  it. 
Animal  with  short,  triangular  tentacula. 


LIMN&'A  COLUME'LLA. 

Shell  ovate,  fragile,  transparent,  pale-green;  whorls  four,  the 
three  upper  ones  minute,  lines  of  growth  distinct,  undulated  by 
revolving  lines ;  aperture  ample  ;  umbilicus  minute. 

FIGURE  144. 
State  Coll.,  No.  68.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1302. 

Lymnae^a  columella,  SAY  ;  Nicholson's  Encyc.  (Amer.  cd.),  iv.   Journ.  Acad.  Nat. 

Sc.,  i.  15. 
Lymnae^us  navicula,  VALENC.  ;   Recuril  d'Obs.  de  Zool.,  par  Humb.  et  Bonpl.,  251. 

Shell  ovate,  ventricose,  extremely  thin  and  fragile,  transparent, 
of  a  pale-greenish  or  yellowish  color,  the  apex  acutely  pointed  ; 
whorls  four,  of  which  the  last  is  much  inflated,  and  composes 
nearly  the  whole  shell ;  the  upper  ones  are  very  small,  forming  an 
acute  apex  ;  surface  with  conspicuous  and  nearly  regular  lines  of 
growth,  minutely  waved  by  revolving  lines,  some  of  which  are 
distinctly  elevated  ;  suture  slightly  impressed  ;  aperture  large, 
four  fifths  the  length  of  the  shell,  generally  somewhat  dilated ;  lip 
very  sharp,  ending  with  a  small  curve  behind ;  on  the  left  margin 
the  edge  is  slightly  turned  over  a  minute  umbilicus,  and  forms  a 
considerable  fold  ;  a  thin,  closely  adhering  enamel  stretches 


216    INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

across  from  it  to  the  angle  of  the  aperture  ;  the  inner  lip  is  so 
arched  as  to  display  a  considerable  portion  of  the  interior  of  the 
shell.  Length  ^  inch,  breadth  T57  inch,  divergence  68°  ;  of  an- 
other specimen,  length  j£  inch,  breadth  T4T  inch,  divergence  56°. 

Inhabits  stagnant  pools  and  miry  places,  and  is  common.  It  is 
found  at  maturity  very  early  in  the  spring. 

The  animal  is  large,  semi-transparent,  of  a  dusky  or  light-drab 
color,  dotted  with  silvery  white.  It  is  very  sluggish  in  its  mo- 
tions. The  head  above  is  slightly  tinted  with  lilac. 

This  very  brittle  shell  has  rather  the  aspect  of  SUCCI'NEA,  than  of 
LIMNJE'A.  It  varies  a  good  deal  in  form,  being  in  some  specimens 
rather  slender,  and  in  others  broad  and  distended.  The  aperture  is 
usually  somewhat  dilated,  especially  at  its  broadly-rounded  base  ;  but 
occasionally  the  outer  lip  is  pressed  inwards.  The  surface  is  shining, 
and  delicately  corrugated  by  revolving  lines. 

Var.  CHALY'BEA.    Fig.  145.     State  Coll.,  No.  72. 

The  spire  is  more  pointed,  its  divergence  being  only  50°  ;  the 
aperture  is  more  expanded,  and  the  fold  on  the  inner  lip  more 
obvious.  It  is  thin,  but  not  very  brittle,  ringing  like  hard-burnt 
crockery.  The  last  whorl  is  partially  detached  from  the  preced- 
ing one,  so  as  to  form  a  thread-like  channel  at  the  suture.  The 
enamel  rests  loosely  against  the  shell,  and  is  wrinkled.  The  ex- 
terior is  covered  by  a  bluish-black  pigment,  not  easily  removed, 
and  the  interior  has  a  steel-blue  or  black-lead  color. 

This  shell,  which  I  found  two  years  in  succession  in  a  muddy  pool 
in  Cambridge,  I  thought  was  sufficiently  distinct  to  be  regarded  as  a 
new  species ;  and  I  accordingly  gave  its  characters  under  the  name  of 
Limn&a  chaly'bea,  in  Silliman's  Journal,  xxxiii.  196.  But  as  it  has 
not  been  found  in  any  other  place,  I  am  now  disposed  to  regard  it  as 
a  strongly  marked  local  variety  of  L.  columella.  It  is  very  possibly 
such  a  shell  to  which  Mr.  Say  alludes  in  the  "  Journal  of  the  Acad- 
emy of  Natural  Sciences,"  ii.  167,  as  "  L.  columella^  var.  a.  small, 
black,  from  Cold  Water  Creek,  Missouri." 


LIMNEANA.  MOLLUSCA.  LIMN^A.          217 


MACROSTOMA. 

Shell  fragile,  ovate,  apex  acute  ;  whorls  four,  lines  of  growth 
corrugated  ;  aperture  four  fifths  the  length  of  the  shell,  ample,  ex- 
panded, umbilicus  minute. 

FIGURE  148. 

.  State  Coll.,  No.  138.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1296. 

Lymneus  macrostomus,  SAY  ;  Journ.  rfcad.  Nat.  Sc.,  ii.  170. 
Liranea  acuminata,  ADAMS  ;  Sillimarfs  Journ.,  xxxix.  374,  (young.) 

Shell  fragile,  pellucid,  light  horn-colored,  ovate-conical  ;  last 
whorl  very  large,  moderately  inflated,  surmounted  by  three  very 
small,  oblique  ones,  forming  an  acute  apex  ;  surface  shining, 
marked  by  fine  lines  of  growth,  which  are  crossed  and  rendered 
flexuous  by  numerous  revolving  lines,  faintly  visible  without  a 
magnifier  ;  suture  distinct,  the  whorls  approaching  it  by  a  gradual 
slope  ;  aperture  ovate,  very  ample,  four-fifths  the  length  of  the 
shell,  and,  when  mature,  broadly  expanded  ;  outer  lip  very  sharp 
and  thin,  broadly  rounded  in  front,  and,  maintaining  its  sharp  edge, 
it  rises  and  disappears  within  the  shell  ;  pillar  so  broadly  arched 
as  to  allow  a  view  of  much  of  the  interior  of  the  spire  ;  a  minute 
umbilicus  is  formed  by  a  reflected  scale  of  enamel  ;  in  mature 
shells  a  glazing  of  enamel  is  found  upon  the  preceding  whorl  as  it 
encroaches  upon  the  aperture.  Length  \  J  inch,  breadth  -^  inch, 
divergence  73°. 

Found  at  New  Bedford  by  Mr.  Shiverick.  Much  larger  speci- 
mens were  obtained  by  Colonel  Totten,  at  Tiverton,  Rhode 
Island.  Dr.  Binney  found  it  also  in  Vermont. 

This  shell  is  closely  allied  to  L.  columilla,  and  in  an  immature 
state  is  not  easily  distinguished  from  it;  but  that  shell  is  much 
more  elongated,  and  regularly  tapering,  the  divergence  of  the  spire 
being  not  more  than  60°.  Such  specimens  Professor  Adams  described 
as  his  L.  acuminata.  But  at  maturity  the  shell  is  very  distinctly  char- 
acterized by  its  widely  spreading  outer  lip,  which  gives  great  expan- 
sion to  the  aperture.  Mr.  Say  received  it  from  the  rice-fields  of  Car- 
olina. It  is  the  analogue  of  the  L.  ovatus,  of  Europe. 
28 


218    INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 
LIMN^E'A  UMBILICATA. 

Shell  small-)  ovate  ;  whorls  five,  rounded ,  and  marked  with  fine 
decussating  lines ;  suture  deeply  impressed ;  aperture  small,  oval ; 
no  conspicuous  fold  on  the  columella ;  umbilicus  distinct. 

FIGURE  149. 
State  Coll.,  No.  136.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2402. 

Limnas^a  umbilickta,  ADAMS  ;   Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  iii.  325,  pi.  3,  f.  14.   Silli- 
man's  Journ. ,  xxxix.  374. 

Shell  small,  short-ovate,  apex  obtuse  ;  whorls  five  ;  very  con- 
vex and  rounded,  slightly  oblique,  their  surface  reticulated  with 
fine  lines,  and  modified  by  numerous  facets  or  indentations,  ar- 
ranged in  imperfect  revolving  series,  four  or  five  in  number  ;  su- 
ture deeply  impressed  ;  aperture  small,  about  half  the  length  of 
the  shell,  broad-oval,  not  expanded  but  rather  seeming  contracted  ; 
outer  lip  sharp,  thickened  within  by  a  sub-marginal,  pinkish-color- 
ed deposit ;  passing  backwards  on  the  inner  side  in  a  smooth  and 
rounded  plate,  it  joins  the  preceding  whorl  at  about  half  the  height 
of  the  aperture  ;  a  thin  glazing  of  enamel  covers  the  remainder  of 
the  inner  margin.  There  is  scarcely  any  approach  to  a  fold  on 
the  pillar  ;  umbilicus  large  and  deep.  Length  T\  inch,  breadth 
i  inch,  divergence  65°. 

First  collected  by  Mr.  Shiverick,  at  New  Bedford. 

Limnda  modicellus  is  of  about  the  same  size  and  general  appearance ; 
but  its  surface  is  smooth,  its  whorls  more  oblique,  its  mouth  twice  as 
large,  and  it  has  no  conspicuous  umbilicus.  L.  caperdta  is  similar  in 
its  form,  and  its  small,  oval  aperture,  but  is  at  once  recognised  by  the 
regular  revolving,  hispid  lines. 

LIMKEA  .MODICE'LLUS. 

Shell  ovate,  thin,  light-olive  colored ;  whorls  four,  convex ;  su- 
ture deep  ;  aperture  rather  large,  ovate  ;  fold  of  columella  conspic- 
uous ;  sub-umbilicated. 

FIGURE  151. 

State  Coll.,  No.  71.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2403. 

Lymndus  modicellus,  SAY  ;  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.,  v.  122. 


LIMNEANA.  MOLLUSCA.  LIMN^A.         219 

Shell  small  and  short-ovate,  very  thin  and  transparent,  color  a 
light-olive,  or  sea-green  ;  whorls  four  or  five,  convexly  rounded, 
and  somewhat  shouldered  or  flattened  above  ;  surface  rather 
coarsely  marked  by  the  lines  of  growth  ;  anterior  whorl  large  and 
inflated,  two  thirds  the  length  of  the  shell ;  posterior  whorls  small ; 
suture  deep  ;  aperture  rather  large,  somewhat  more  than  half  the 
length  of  the  shell,  ovate,  or  nearly  as  broad  behind  as  before,  not 
acutely  rounded  behind,  but  considerably  arched  ;  slightly  effuse 
at  base  ;  columella  arched,  its  fold  conspicuous  ;  inner  lip  reflect- 
ed over  a  small  umbilicus,  and  the  enamel  usually  broadly  spread 
across  to  the  posterior  angle.  Length  /T  inch,  breadth  ^  inch, 
divergence  68°. 

Lives  along  the  muddy  margins  of  brooks. 

The  animal  is  of  a  dark  sea-green  or  bottle-green  color  above, 
dotted  with  amber-color  ;  beneath  much  paler.  Foot  long,  and 
inclining  to  a  point  behind.  In  the  region  of  the  eyes,  between 
the  tentacula,  are  clusters  of  white  points,  which  give  an  appear- 
ance of  white  eyes.  The  animal  seems  to  shun  immersion,  being 
usually  found  on  the  damp  mud  at  the  margins  of  ponds  and 
brooks.  When  put  in  a  vessel  of  water,  it  soon  rises  above  the 
surface,  crawls  about  the  table,  and  will  remain  out  of  water  two  or 
three  days  without  injury.  The  shell  is  usually  thickly  coated 
with  mud. 

This  species  is  distinguished  from  the  young  of  L.  elodes  by  the 
depth  of  the  suture,  and  the  maturity  of  its  aperture,  which  is  also  pro- 
portionally larger.  It  is  less  elongated  than  L.  desidiosa,  its  suture  is 
deeper,  its  aperture  rather  smaller,  and  the  color  is  quite  different. 

LlMN^EA    DESIDIOSA. 

Shell  ovate-elongate ,  turretted ;  whorls  jive,  convex,  the  upper 
ones  very  small ;  suture  deep  ;  aperture  sub-ovate,  longer  than  the 
spire ;  sub-umbilicated. 

FIGURE   150. 
State  Coll.,  No.  70.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1295. 

Lymncus  desidiosus,  SAY  ;  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sr,.,  ii.  1G9. 
Limneus  desidiosus,  SAY  ;  Jlmcr.  Conch.,  pi.  55,  f.  3. 


220    INVERTEBRATA   OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

Shell  ovate,  thin  and  fragile,  the  spire  elongated  and  turreted  ; 
color  a  pale,  dirty  yellowish-green  ;  whorls  five,  very  convex,  and 
for  the  most  part  suddenly  contracted  above,  so  as  to  present  a 
conspicuous  shoulder  ;  the  two  or  three  uppermost  whorls  are 
very  small,  and  the  body  whorl  about  seven  tenths  the  length  of 
the  whole  shell ;  surface  generally  dead,  and  somewhat  checked 
with  irregular  revolving  and  longitudinal  raised  lines  ;  aperture 
large,  usually  three  fifths  the  length  of  the  shell,  oval,  broadly  and 
sub-equally  rounded  both  behind  and  before  ;  the  lip  is  consider- 
ably everted  in  front,  and  along  the  left  margin,  where  it  is  not 
closely  appressed  to  the  whorl,  and  leaves  a  small,  but  evident 
umbilical  opening ;  callus  rather  abundant ;  fold  on  the  pillar 
slight,  and  smoothly  rounded.  Length  }  inch,  of  aperture  £  inch, 
breadth  fa  inch,  divergence  45°. 

This  species  is  found  in  most  regions,  about  the  muddy  margins 
of  ponds  and  pools. 

It  is  intermediate  between  L.  elodes  and  L.  modicellus.  Its  spire  is 
proportionally  more  slender,  its  suture  deeper,  its  aperture  proportion- 
ally larger  and  more  oval,  the  fold  of  its  columella  much  less  conspic- 
uous, and  it  is  a  much  more  fragile  shell  than  the  former.  The  latter, 
while  it  has  the  large,  oval  aperture,  the  deep  suture  and  shouldered 
whorls,  is  still  more  fragile,  of  a  deep  green-color,  and  is  a  short,  in- 
flated shell,  with  a  much  greater  divergence  of  the  spire,  and  with  one 
whorl  more  than  L.  desidiosa.  The  habits  of  the  two  last  are  similar, 
but  the  animal  of  desidiosa  is  a  much  lighter  green,  and  has  not  the 
remarkable  white  dots  between  the  tentacula. 

The  characters  of  the  aperture  and  spire  seem  to  be  constant ;  that 
is,  the  aperture  is  always  large  and  broadly  rounded  behind ;  and  the 
spire  is  tapering,  the  two  whorls  at  the  tip  seeming  somewhat  as  if 
superadded ;  so  that  if  a  line  should  pass  down  one  side  so  as  to  touch 
all  the  whorls,  this  line  would  be  concave.  The  only  variations  I  have 
noticed  are,  that  the  suture  is  sometimes  shallow,  and  the  shoulder 
nearly  wanting,  so  as  to  render  the  spire  more  regularly  tapering. 
Mr.  Say's  description  is  not  definite,  and  his  figure  is  much  shorter 
than  the  dimensions  he  ascribes  to  it.  He  gives  its  length  seven  tenths 
of  an  inch,  while  it  rarely  exceeds  half  an  inch. 


LIMNEANA.  MOLLUSCA.  LIMN^A.       221 

LlMN^A    ELODES. 

Shell  turretted,  elongated,  dull  horn-colored ;  whorls  five,  con- 
vex ;  suture  deep  ;  aperture  sub-oval,  less  than  half  the  length  of 
the  shell,  within  brownish,  fold  of  the  columella  profound. 

FIGURE  145,  146,  147. 
State  Coll.,  No.  139.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1301. 

Lymneus  elodes,  SAY;  Journ.  dead.  Nat.  Sc.,  ii.  169.    Amer.  Conch.,  pi.  11,  f.  3. 

Shell  tapering,  elongated,  turretted,  thin  and  fragile,  dull  and 
dingy  horn-colored,  inelegant ;  whorls  five,  or  a  little  more,  the 
two  smallest  being  generally  broken  off ;  they  are  regularly  and 
largely  convex,  not  flattened  or  compressed  posteriorly,  but  the 
adjacent  margins  of  two  whorls  curve  regularly  to  the  deeply  im- 
pressed suture ;  the  last  whorl,  measured  upon  the  back,  consti- 
tutes from  a  little  more  than  one  half,  to  about  two  thirds  the 
whole  length  of  the  shell ;  surface  coarsely  wrinkled  by  the  lines 
of  growth,  sometimes  minutely  reticulated  by  revolving  lines,  and 
sometimes  exhibiting  small,  plane  facets,  irregularly  disposed. 
Aperture  generally  less  than,  but  never  exceeding  one  half  the 
length  of  the  shell  ;  sub-oval,  rather  contracted  ;  right  lip  thin, 
with  now  and  then  a  sub-marginal  thickening,  within  colored  red- 
dish-brown ;  pillar  margin  copiously  overlaid  with  white  enamel, 
not  closely  appressed  at  the  umbilical  region  ;  fold  of  the  pillar 
large  and  oblique  ;  umbilicus  for  the  most  part  closed.  Length 
T%-  inch,  breadth  T\  inch,  divergence  43  to  45°. 

The  animal  is  of  a  dusky-greenish  color,  similar  to  that  of  the 
shell,  varying  like  it  in  intensity,  minutely  dotted  with  amber- 
color.  Foot  somewhat  paler,  tongue-shaped,  reaching  about  two 
thirds  the  length  of  the  large  whorl  when  in  motion,  obtusely 
rounded  behind. 

The  animal  attains  maturity  and  dies  about  the  end  of  June. 
At  this  time  the  young  may  be  seen  with  the  old,  about  an  eighth 
of  an  inch  in  length,  and  these  continue  to  grow  rapidly  during  the 
season.  But  after  the  early  part  of  July  it  is  rare  to  find  an  adult 
shell  containing  a  living  animal.  At  this  time  the  exterior  of  the 
shell  is  much  eroded  ;  in  fact  the  animals,  as  they  cluster  together, 


222  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

actually  devour  each  other's  shells ;  the  aperture  becomes  white 
and  somewhat  chalky,  and  the  brown,  sub-marginal  callus  of  the 
outer  lip  is  thus  covered  over. 

The  most  common  species  found  in  Massachusetts,  and  one  which 
it  is  exceedingly  difficult  to  describe,  or  to  determine,  if  it  has  been  al- 
ready described.  After  much  observation,  and  a  comparison  of  many 
individuals  collected  from  various  localities,  and  an  exchange  of  speci- 
mens with  the  most  distinguished  conchologists  of  this  country,  I  have 
come  to  the  conclusion,  that  it  must  be  regarded  as  the  L.  elodes  of 
Say.  Its  European  analogue  is  L.  palustris.  The  only  Massachusetts 
shell  which  bears  much  affinity  to  it,  is  L.  desidiosa,  which  is  smaller, 
has  a  more  slender  spire,  and  larger  aperture,  proportionally.  But  it  is 
closely  related  to  L.  umbrosa  and  L.  reflexa  of  the  Western  and  Middle 
States.  The  former  is  more  solid,  more  corpulent,  with  the  whorls  and 
aperture  more  oblique,  and  its  color  darker  than  that  of  our  shell.  The 
latter  has  the  whorls  still  more  oblique,  much  less  convex,  forming  a 
much  less  turretted  and  regularly  tapering  spire  ;  the  fold  of  the  pillar 
much  less  prominent,  and  the  color  yellowish.  After  all,  these  species 
are  so  nearly  allied,  that  no  description,  and  perhaps  no  figure  will  en- 
able a  person  to  determine  any  one  of  them  by  itself.  They  must  be 
learned  by  comparison,  and  by  interchanging  specimens.  But  the  diffi- 
culty does  not  end  here.  It  is  no  easy  matter  to  assign  the  limits  of  the 
species.  No  one  presents  a  greater  variety.  The  length  of  mature 
shells  varies  from  half  an  inch  to  an  inch ;  and  it  is  remarkable  that 
the  largest  specimens  are  usually  the  most  fragile.  The  surface 
usually  has  an  uneven,  unfinished,  inelegant  aspect,  coated  with  mud  ; 
but  occasionally  we  find  the  conformation  of  the  shell  perfectly  regu- 
lar, the  color  a  shining  greenish  horn-color,  and  the  surface  smooth 
and  beautifully  reticulated  with  longitudinal  and  revolving  lines.  It  is 
then  a  very  pretty,  fragile  shell.  The  aperture  is  small  in  proportion 
to  the  shell,  generally  rather  contracted  ;  again,  we  find  the  lip  begin- 
ning to  expand,  and  in  some  specimens  received  from  Vermont,  which 
I  suppose  to  belong  to  this  species,  the  lip  is  broadly  flaring.  Young 
specimens  might  be  confounded  with  L.  umbilicata,  L.  desidiosa,  L. 
modicellus,  and  L.  caperdta ;  but  a  little  attention  to  the  umbilicus, 
the  aperture,  the  color,  and  the  revolving  lines  will  enable  us  to  dis- 
tinguish them,  respectively.  The  umbilicus  is  usually  entirely  ob- 
structed by  the  overlaying  callus ;  but  in  some  specimens  it  is  par- 
tially open. 


L1MNEANA.  MOLLUSCA.  ANCYLUS.         223 


LIMKEA  CATASCOPIUM. 

Shell  ovate,  strong,  chestnut-brown  ;  whorls  four,  wrinkled,  con- 
vex, the  last  large ;  suture  deep  ;  aperture  sub-oval,  half  the  length 
of  the  shell. 

State  Coll.,  No.  69.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1304. 

Lymnea  catascopium,  SAY  ;  Nicholson's  Encyc.(Amer.  erf.),  pi.  2,  f.  3. 
Limneus  catascspium,  SAY  ;  Amer.  Conch.,  pi.  55,  f.  2. 

Lymneus  cornea,  VALENC.J   in  Huvtb.  et  Bonpl.  Recueil  d'Obs    fyc.,  (teste  Fe- 
rnssac). 

Shell  rather  large,  oblong-ovate,  ventricose,  thick  and  strong ; 
epidermis  chestnut  or  brownish  horn-color  ;  whorls  four  or  a  little 
more,  forming  a  short,  pointed  spire,  delicately  but  rather  regularly 
wrinkled  by  the  lines  of  growth,  and  these  are  rendered  somewhat 
corrugated  by  obsolete  revolving  lines  ;  last  whorl  constituting 
nearly  the  whole  shell,  very  much  distended ;  suture  deeply  im- 
pressed ;  spire  very  short,  acute  at  apex  ;  aperture  rather  more 
than  half  the  length  of  the  shell,  sub-oval,  very  little  narrowed  be- 
hind ;  not  dilated ;  right  lip  simple,  thick  and  regularly  curved  ; 
left  lip  haying  a  thick,  narrow  layer  of  enamel,  and  a  rather  slight 
fold  midway  ;  umbilicus  not  open.  Length  -^  inch,  breadth  T^ 
inch,  divergence  60°. 

Found  in  the  southern  parts  of  this  State,  but  I  have  not  met 
with  it  near  Boston. 

Its  great  solidity,  and  its  remarkably  broad,  corpulent  aspect,  ap- 
proximating in  character  to  PALUDI'NA,  cause  it  to  be  easily  recog- 
nised. Its  analogue  on  the  European  continent  is  L.  pereger,  which, 
however,  differs  from  this  in  being  a  less  solid  shell,  in  having  the 
aperture  somewhat  expanded,  its  anterior  curve  broader,  and  the  fold 
of  tbe  pillar  less  deep.  It  comes  nearer  to  L.  emargindta  than  to  any 
other  American  species. 

GENUS  ANCYLUS,  MULLER. 

Shell  boat-shaped,  without  a  spire,  apex  pointed,  inclining  for- 
wards and  to  one  side ;  aperture  ovate. 


224    INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

It  is  not  yet  satisfactorily  determined  under  what  family  this  genus 
should  be  arranged.  Its  animal  is  closely  allied  to  the  LIMNEANA, 
and  its  natural  relations  are  certainly  stronger  to  this  family,  notwith- 
standing the  form  of  the  shell,  than  to  the  CALYPTRA  CEA,  where  it 
has  usually  been  placed. 

A'NCYLUS  RIVULA'RIS. 

Shell  elongated-oval,  sides  rectilinear,  apex  nearer  to  one  side, 
nearly  central. 

FIGURE  153. 

State  Coll.,  No.  281.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  842. 

Ancylus   rivulkris,    SAV  ;    Nicholson's   Encyc.   (Jlmer.   ed.)}    Art.    Conchology, 
Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.t  i.  125. 

Shell  small,  narrow,  elongated-oval,  the  sides  nearly  parallel, 
but  one  end  is  somewhat  narrower  than  the  other,  and  both  are 
regularly  rounded  ;  apex  nearly  equi-distant  from  both  extremi- 
ties, nearer  to,  and  leaning  to,  one  side  and  one  end  ;  aperture 
oval ;  color  dark-green.  Length  J  inch,  breadth  -jV  inch. 

Found  on  stones  and  floating  leaves  in  rivulets  and  ponds. 

It  is  closely  allied  to  A.  fluviatilis  of  Europe ;  but  the  a,pex  is  less 
acute  and  more  central.  There  is  another  American  species,  the  A. 
tardus,  Say,  which  has  been  found  by  Professor  Adams  in  Vermont, 
but  which  I  have  not  yet  found  in  this  State.  It  is  much  more  round- 
ed and  conical  than  this,  and  the  apex  is  not  lateral. 

A'NCYLUS  FUSCUS. 

Shell  oval,  depressed,  convexity  regular,  not  compressed  laterally, 
curvilinear  at  the  sides ;  apex  obtuse,  a  little  to  the  right  and  rear 
of  the  centre  ;  epidermis  coarse,  brown,  surpassing  the  margin. 

FIGURE   152. 

State  Coll.,  No.  283.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2383. 

Ancylus  fuscus,  ADAMS  ;  Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  iii.  329,  pi.  3,  f.  17. 

Shell  small,  very  thin  and  pellucid,  of  a  rounded  oval  form,  the 
entire  outline  regularly  curved  ;  depressed  and  regularly  convex, 
not  compressed  at  the  sides  ;  apex  slightly  elevated,  bluntly 


PERISTOMATA.  MOLLUSCA.  VALVATA.         225 

rounded  a  little  behind,  and  to  the  right  of  the  centre  ;  stages  of 
growth  visible  ;  epidermis  coarse  and  strong,  rough,  dusky  yel- 
lowish-brown, extending  beyond  the  margin  of  the  testaceous 
matter,  and  insensibly  coalescing  with  it  on  all  sides,  which  are 
inclined  to  turn  upwards  ;  within  glistening,  polished.  Length 
•j3^  inch,  height  ^  inch,  breadth  T\\  inch. 

Found  in  a  rivulet  in  Andover  by  Mr.  K.  Prescott,  of  the 
Theological  Seminary  ;  and  also  found  by  Professor  Adams  in 
Mansfield  ;  and  by  myself,  in  Fresh  Pond. 

It  differs  from  all  other  described  species  in  its  depressed  form,  its 
obtuse  apex,  and  its  coarse  epidermis  projecting  beyond  the  margin  J 
and,  as  this  extends  in  the  direction  of  the  plane  of  the  object  tov/hich 
it  is  found  attached,  and  not  in  continuation  of  the  conxex  form  of  the 
shell,  the  edges  seem  to  be  turned  upwards.  A.  rivularis,  Say,  is 
narrower,  and  has  the  sides  nearly  parallel.  A.  tardus,  Say,  has  its- 
apex  prominent,  acute,  and  farther  behind  the  middle. 

FAMILY  PERISTdMATA,  LAM. 

Shell  conical  or  sub-discoidal,  the  margins  of  the  aperture  united  poste- 
riorly;  operculated;  inhabiting  fresh  water. 

GENUS  VALVATA,    MUM,ER. 

Shell  conical,  whorls  cylindrical,  loosely  cohering ;  aperture 
circular^  its  margin  entire  ;  operculum  orbicular, 

VALVA'TA  TRICARINATA. 

Shell  sub'discoidal,  thin,  pale  pea-green;  whorls  three,  the  Ic&t 
tri-carinate  ;  umbilicus  large. 

FIGURE   156. 
State  Coll.,  No.  67.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1542, 

Cyclostoma  tricarinkta  SAY;  Nicholson's  Encyc.,  (JJmer.  ed.})   Art.   Conchatogy^ 

Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.,  i.  13. 
Valvata  tricarinata,   SAY;  Journ.  Jlcad.  Nat.   Sc,    DESHAYES  -t  LAM.;  An.  sans 

Vert.,  (2d  edit.),  viii.  507. 
Valvata  carinata,  SOWERBY  ;   Genera,  f.  2. 

Shell  small,   depressed,   thin,   transparent  and  shining,  of  an 
emerald  or  light  pea-green  color  ;  whorls  three  or  four,  flattened 
29 


226    INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

at  the  summit,  faintly  marked  by  lines  of  growth,  and  separated 
by  a  distinct  suture  ;  each  of  the  interior  whorls  has  one  or  two 
prominently  raised,  rounded,  revolving  lines  or  keels,  and  the 
exterior  one  has  three,  one  of  which  issues  from  the  lower  junc- 
tion of  the  lip  and  borders  the  umbilicus  ;  a  second  originates 
from  the  upper  junction  of  the  lip,  and  circumscribes  the  whorl; 
the  third  midway  between  this  and  the  suture,  thus  giving  the 
whorls  a  prismatic  or  quadrangular  instead  of  a  cylindrical  appear- 
ance ;  aperture  circular,  modified  by  the  keels  ;  lip  simple,  sur- 
rounding the  aperture,  except  a  small  space  between  the  two  lower 
keels  ;  umbilicus  broad,  deep,  tunnel-shaped.  Height  ^  inch, 
breadth  T77  inch. 

Var.  SIMPLEX,  without  the  keels.  Professors  Benedict  and 
Adams  have  found  this  species  in  Vermont ;  and  in  very  many 
instances  it  is  perfectly  simple  and  cylindrical,  individuals  occur- 
ring with  every  degree  of  carination,  showing  that  it  is  still  the 
same  species.  In  this  state,  the  large,  tunnel-shaped  umbilicus  is 
the  best  characteristic. 

It  is  found  in  most  of  our  small  lakes,  usually  under  stones,  or 
sheltered  by  the  deserted  shells  of  some  of  the  fresh-water 
mussels. 

The  shell  is  usually  rendered  somewhat  opake  by  an  earthy  coat- 
ing, which  seems  to  answer  the  purpose  of  an  epidermis ;  but,  when 
this  is  removed,  the  surface  is  shining  and  pearly,  of  an  emerald-green 
color,  lighter  on  the  keels.  It  is  one  of  our  most  curious  shells. 

VALVA'TA  PUPOIDEA. 

Shell  minute,  elevated,  chestnut-colored;  whorls  four  or  five, 
the  last  nearly  disjoined. 

FIGURE  155. 
State  Coll.,  No.  65.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1363. 

Valvkta  pupoidea,  GOULD  ;  Silliman's  Journ.,  xxxviii.  196. 

Shell  small,  elongated-ovate,  opake,  chestnut-colored,  when 
divested  of  the  rough,  dirty  pigment  which  usually  adheres  closely 
to  it ;  whorls  four  or  five,  minutely  wrinkled,  the  posterior  one 
small  and  flattened  so  as  to  form  an  obtuse  apex  ;  the  others 


PERISTOMATA.  MOLLUSCA.  PALUDINA.         227 

cylindrical,  and  so  partially  in  contact  as  to  expose  about  one 
half  of  the  cylinder  ;  the  last  entirely  disjoined  from  the  preced- 
ing one  for  at  least  the  half  of  a  revolution  ;  aperture  circular,  lip 
simple  and  sharp  ;  on  looking  at  the  shell  from  below,  no  umbili- 
cal opening  is  found  ;  operculum  horny,  apex  central,  elements 
concentric.  Length  -fv  inch,  breadth  T3^  inch. 

Found  at  Fresh  Pond  and  other  ponds,  on  stones  and  sub- 
merged sticks  ;  and  has  been  for  many  years  in  our  cabinets 
marked  as  a  PALUDINA. 

Animal  very  active  ;  head  proboscidiform,  half  as  long  as  the 
tentacles,  bi-lobed  in  front,  dark,  terminated  with  light ;  tentacles 
rather  stout,  light  drab-colored,  with  a  line  of  silvery  dots  on  the 
upper  side,  over  the  large,  black  eyes ;  foot,  tongue-shaped,  as 
long  as  the  first  whorl,  dilated  into  two  acute  angles  in  front,  light 
drab-color  ;  respiratory  organ  occasionally  protruded  to  half  the 
length  of  a  tentacle  on  the  right  side. 

This  species  is  widely  distinguished  from  ail  other  described  ones  by 
its  minuteness,  its  color,  its  elongated  form,  and  its  want  of  an  umbili- 
cus ;  of  which  characters  the  last  two  seem  to  arise  from  the  loose 
manner  in  which  the  whorls  are  united. 

GENUS  PALUDiNA,  LAM. 

Shell  ovate-conical,  whorls  rounded  ;  aperture  ovate,  acute  pos- 
teriorly, and  modified  by  the  preceding  whorl,  margin  simple ; 
operculum  horny,  origin  near  one  edge,  elements  concentric. 

PALUDINA  DECI'SA. 

Shell  sub-conic,  thick  and  strong,  olivaceous ;  whorls  Jive,  con- 
vex, covered  with  minute,  revolving  lines,  eroded  at  tip;  aperture 
ovate,  half  the  length  of  the  shell,  bluish  within ;  umbilicus  none. 

FIGURE,  see  Wood-cut,  page  144. 
State  Coll.,  No.  61.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1347. 

C6chlea  Virginiana  e  flava  viridescens,  non  fasciata,  LISTER  ;  Conch.,  I.  27,  f.  27. 

PETIVER;   Gazophyl,  t.  116,  f.  18. 
Paludina  decisa,  SAY;  Nicholson's  Encyc.,  (rfmer.  ed.,~)  pi.  2,  f.  6.    Amer.  Conch  , 

pi.  10. 
Paludina  limosa,  VALENC.  ;  Recueil  d'Obs.  de  Zool.  fyc.,par  Humb.  et  Bonpl ,  ii. 

253.  pi.  l,f.  1. 


228  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

Shell  ovate-elongate,  thick  and  strong,  color  varying  from  yel- 
lowish-green to  dark  olive-green  ;  whorls  five,  regularly  convex, 
inclining  rather  abruptly  towards  the  suture,  so  as  to  form  a  mod- 
erate shoulder  ;  surface  marked  with  fine  wrinkles  of  growth,  and 
occasional  stripes  of  dark  purplish,  indicating  the  position  of  pre- 
ceding apertures  ;  also  with  minute,  revolving  lines,  which  in 
young  specimens,  when  viewed  in  the  water,  are  seen  to  be  gar- 
nished with  fine,  pubescent  hairs  ;  two  or  three  of  the  whorls  at 
the  apex  are  usually  broken  off,  leaving  an  irregular,  eroded  sur- 
face ;  aperture  oval,'  not  exceeding  half  the  length  of  the  entire 
shell,  forming  an  angle  above ;  lip  simple,  very  sharp,  until,  as  it 
rises  towards  the  columella,  it  becomes  thickened,  and,  turning 
outwards,  forms  a  smooth,  rounded  margin,  leaving  no  umbili- 
cus ;  a  thick  enamel  spreads  across  the  preceding  whorl,  margined 
with  purplish  ;  interior  bluish.  Operculum  thin,  ovate,  beaked, 
with  a  groove  from  the  centre  to  the  tip  of  the  beak.  Length 
1T\  inch,  breadth  T7^  inch,  divergence  56°. 

Animal  with  a  broad,  tongue-shaped  foot,  drawn  out  into  an- 
gles each  side  in  front,  of  a  livid  olive-color  varied  with  dark, 
vivid-orange,  transverse  spots  above,  and  minutely  dotted  with  the 
same  beneath  ;  tentacula  olive  above,  spotted  with  orange,  lighter 
below.  Eyes  on  a  niche  at  the  exterior  base  of  the  tentacula. 

Found  in  ponds  and  muddy  streams,  usually  concealed  under 
shelving  banks,  or  imbedded  an  inch  or  two  among  loose  mud  and 
roots. 

This  is  the  only  large  species  inhabiting  the  waters  of  New  Eng- 
land. It  is  less  massive  than  P.  ponderosa,  its  whorls  more  convex, 
and  its  aperture  less  elongated.  It  is  less  globular  when  young  than 
P.  sub-purpurea,  and  the  spire  in  the  adult  more  symmetrical.  The 
young  are  excluded  in  a  living  state  with  a  shell  of  three  complete 
whorls.  It  is  peculiar  for  the  almost  constant  loss  of  its  tip. 

/ 
GENUS  AMNICOLA,  GOULD  and  HALD. 

Shell  ovate-conic,  thin  ;  spire  acute,  composed  of  a  few  rounded 
whorls  ;  aperture  small,  oblique,  rounded-ovate ;  lips  continuous, 
simple ;  operculum  horny,  spiral,  with  a  few  volutions. 


PERISTOMATA.  MOLLUSCA.  AMNICOLA.          229 

Animal  having  an  elongated  foot,  rounded  posteriorly,  with 
each  anterior  angle  produced  laterally  ;  head  half  the  breadth  of 
the  foot,  and  protruding  beyond  it ;  tentacula  short,  filiform,  un- 
equal ?  the  eyes  seated  at  the  side  of  the  external  base  ;  ovipa- 
rous. Inhabits  fresh  water. 

That  this  group  of  small  shells  should  be  separated  from  PALUDINA 
and  also  from  CYCLOSTOMA,  in  which  genus  they  were  included  by 
Cuvier,  is  clear  from  the  structure  of  the  operculum,  but  more  espe- 
cially from  the  structure  and  habits  of  the  animal.  Among  the  differ- 
ences the  following  are  the  most  obvious :  In  this  genus,  the  head  pre- 
cedes the  foot  in  progression  ;  in  PALUDINA  it  is  the  contrary  ;  in  this 
the  tentacula  are  all  the  way  of  a  size,  and  without  any  enlargement 
for  the  reception  of  the  eyes,  instead  of  being  tapering,  with  a  niche 
for  the  eyes ;  they  are  also  frequently,  if  not  always,  unequal  in 
length ;  perhaps  this  is  a  sexual  difference.  The  animal  has  the 
power  of  rising  and  swimming  in  an  inverted  posture  at  the  surface  of 
the  water,  which  the  true  Paludina  never  does.  So  far  as  observation 
has  yet  gone,  the  Amnicola  is  oviparous,  while  the  true  Paludina  is 
ovo-viviparous.  It  is  found  crawling  upon  stones,  sticks,  and  aquatic 
plants,  while  Paludina  remains  upon  the  mud,  and  is  usually  observed 
partly,  or  entirely,  imbedded  in  it.  On  these  grounds  Mr.  Haldeman 
concurs  with  me  in  instituting  the  genus  AMNI'COLA.  Its  position 
seems  to  be  intermediate  between  PALUDI  NA  and  MELA'NIA. 

Under  this  genus  will  come  P.  porata,  lustrica,  grana,  and  limosa 
of  Say ;  Nicklinidna  of  Lea ;  and  Cincinnatiensis  of  Anthony,  and 
perhaps  some  of  the  sub-globular  MELANIN. 

The  genus  NEMATURA  of  Benson  includes  shells  very  similar  to 
these,  but  they  are  said  to  have  the  last  whorl  contracted,  as  it  ap- 
proaches the  aperture, 

AMNI'COLA  PORA'TA. 

Shell  small,  sub-globose,  thin,  smooth ;  whorls  four,  very  con- 
vex, suture  deep ;  aperture  nearly  circular ;  inner  lip  barely 
touching  the  preceding  whorl;  umbilicus  large. 

FIGURE  157. 
State  Coll.,  No.  64.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1361. 

Paludina  porata,  SAY  ;  Journ.  Jlcad.  Nat.  Sc.,  ii.  174. 


230  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

Shell  minute,  conic-globose,  thin,  translucent,  smooth,  or  with 
most  delicate  lines  of  growth ;  varying  from  a  bronze-green  to  a 
light  olive-green  color,  but  usually  invested  with  mud  ;  whorls 
four  or  less,  very  convex,  and  flattened  near  the  suture,  so  as  to 
present  a  conspicuous  shoulder  ;  the  last  whorl  rather  more  than 
two  thirds  the  length  of  the  shell,  and  as  broad  as  long  ;  suture 
deeply  impressed,  almost  channelled  ;  aperture  nearly  circular, 
both  lips  being  about  equally  curved,  and  uniting  posteriorly  at  a 
broad  angle  ;  lips  sharp,  in  some  instances  a  little  everted  ;  inner 
lip,  at  maturity,  barely  touching  the  preceding  whorl  just  before  it 
joins  the  outer  lip,  leaving  a  very  large,  deep  umbilicus.  Length 
•%\  inch,  breadth  T\  inch,  divergence  68°. 

Found  in  ditches  and  brooks,  clinging  to  stones  or  submerged 
plants,  oftentimes  in  great  numbers. 

Minimal  a  light  drab-color  tinted  pink,  the  head  a  little  flesh- 
colored  above  ;  tentacula  silvery,  with  a  dark  line  running  along 
the  outside  from  the  eyes,  which  are  at  the  external  base  ;  foot 
not  reaching  beyond  the  first  whorl,  broadly  rounded  behind,  di- 
lated into  angles  at  each  side  in  front ;  head  half  the  width  of  the 
foot,  and  projecting  beyond  it,  motions  very  slow.  In  delicate 
and  clean  specimens,  a  dark  mark  parallel  to  the  outer  lip,  and 
another  bisecting  it,  and  belonging  to  the  animal,  appear  through 
the  shell. 

Under  this  species  I  include  all  the  small  shells,  hitherto  regarded 
as  PALUDI  N-E,  which  are  collected  in  this  region,  ascribing  the  very 
great  differences  they  present  in  color  and  size  to  differences  of  lo- 
cality and  age.  The  shoulder  of  the  whorls,  the  conspicuous  umbil- 
icus, and  the  rounded  aperture,  almost  like  VALVATA  or  CYCLOSTOMA, 
are  the  most  obvious  characters.  It  is  less  solid,  less  elongated,  the 
aperture  more  circular,  and  the  inner  lip  much  less  closely  appressed 
to  the  preceding  whorl  than  P.  limosa.  Say.  P.  lustrica,  Say,  is  de- 
scribed as  much  smaller,  much  more  elongated,  and  more  cylindrical. 
This  I  strongly  suspect  to  be  identical  with  Valvata  pupoidea  in  an 
immature  state.  It  approaches  nearest  to  P.  Cincinnatiensis,  Anthony, 
which  is  larger  and  more  conical  and  elongated. 


NERITACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  NATICA.  231 

FAMILY  NERITJlCEA,  LAM. 

Shell  semi-globose  or  depressed-oval,  the  inner  lip  like  a  parlial  partition, 
operculated  ;  residing  in  fresh  and  in  salt  water. 

GENUS  NATICA,  BRUG. 

Shell  sub-globular,  umbilicated  ;  aperture  entire,  semi-circular  ; 
inner  lip  oblique,  with  a  callus  which  modifies  the  umbilicus,  and 
sometimes  covers  it ;  operculated. 

NATICA  HERDS. 

Shell  sub-globose,  ash-colored,  whorls  five,  a  dark,  chestnut- 
colored  band  revolving  about  the  three  upper  ones  ;  umbilicus  large 
and  simple. 

FIGURE.  160. 
State  Coll.,  No.  57.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  79. 

Natica  heros,  SAY  ;  Journ.  dead.  Nat.  Sc.,  ii.  248. 

Shell  globose-ovate,  thick,  ash-colored,  or  sometimes  brownish, 
shining  when  divested  of  its  thin,  yellowish  epidermis  ;  distinct 
lines  of  growth,  and  very  minute  revolving  lines  cover  the  surface  ; 
whorls  five,  very  convex,  slightly  flattened  near  the  top,  so  as  to 
present  a  slight  angular  appearance  ;  the  three  posterior  whorls 
have  the  lower  half  of  a  dark  chestnut-color,  and  the  other  half 
rather  lighter  than  the  rest  of  the  shell  ;  suture  well  marked  ; 
aperture  ovate  ;  the  lip,  sharp  above,  becomes  thicker  and  smooth- 
ly rounded,  and  as  it  rises  by  the  side  of  the  umbilicus  it  expands 
to  a  considerable  breadth  ;  a  very  thin  layer  of  enamel  is  spread 
over  the  portion  of  the  whorl  which  completes  the  aperture  ; 
throat  of  a  delicate,  somewhat  clouded  chestnut-color,  with  a 
margin  sometimes  bright -yellow ;  umbilicus  large,  rounded,  dis- 
playing the  whorls  nearly  to  the  summit,  coarsely  wrinkled,  the 
callus  covering  only  a  very  small  segment  of  it.  Operculum 
horny.  Ordinary  length  2|  inches,  breadth  2  inches. 

It  is  found  on  sandy  or  muddy  beaches  along  the  whole  coast  ; 
but  much  more  seldom  to  the  south  than  to  the  north  of  Cape 
Cod. 


232   INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

This  shell  is  distinguished  from  all  others  by  its  inflated,  globular 
appearance,  and  its  simple,  deep  umbilicus.  It  very  much  resembles 
an  AMPULLA  RIA,  and  is  most  probably  the  N.  ampulldria  of  Lamarck. 
It  also  grows  to  a  larger  size  than  any  other  known  species.  I  have 
one  specimen  the  greatest  length  of  which  is  4£  inches,  and  greatest 
breadth  3£  inches ;  and  I  have  seen  one  5  inches  by  3J  inches.  The 
shell  is  light  for  its  size,  and  its  whole  structure  and  appearance  are 
very  simple. . 

This,  in  common  with  other  species  of  NA'TICA,  is  very  voracious, 
and  plays  a  conspicuous  part  in  devouring  the  dead  fish  and  other 
animals  which  are  thrown  up  by  the  tide.  Many  of  the  shells  thrown 
upon  the  shore  are  found  to  be  perforated  with  a  small  round  hole. 
This  is  done  principally  by  the  different  species  of  NA'TICA.  They 
have  the  power  of  perforating  shells,  it  is  generally  supposed,  by  dis- 
charging an  acid  which  decomposes  the  shell ;  and  through  the  aper- 
ture they  extract  the  juices,  and  destroy  the  lives  of  the  otherwise 
secure  inhabitants.  Their  foot  is  very  large,  so  as  completely  to  en- 
velope the  objects  on  which  they  prey.  In  moving,  they  burrow  in 
the  sand,  so  as  to  be  almost  entirely  concealed  by  it,  and  their  place 
is  generally  indicated  by  a  small  heap  of  sand. 

The  singular  nidus,  in  which  the  animal  of  NA'TICA  deposits  its  eggs, 
has  been  an  object  of  much  curiosity  and  speculation.  It  is  a  mass  of 
sand  glued  together  into  the  shape  of  a  broad  bowl,  open  at  the  bottom, 
and  broken  at  one  side.  Its  thickness  is  about  that  of  an  orange-peel, 
easily  bent  without  breaking  when  damp,  and  when  held  up  to  the 
light  will  be  found  to  be  filled  with  little  cells  arranged  in  quincunx 
order.  Each  of  these  cells  contains  a  gelatinous  egg,  having  a 
yellow  nucleus  which  is  the  embryo  shell.  It  is  found  plentifully  at 
midsummer,  on  every  sandy  flat  where  any  species  of  NA'TICA  resorts. 
It  has  passed  under  many  names,  and  its  true  nature  seems  to  have 
been  first  suspected  by  Mr.  Boys,  who  gave  a  description  and  plate  of 
it,  in  the  *'  Linnaean  Transactions,"  vol.  v.  230,  pi.  10.  In  the  14th 
volume  of  the  same  work,  Mr.  Hogg  fully  demonstrated  its  character, 
by  hatching,  from  those  found  on  the  English  coast,  the  young  of 
Ndtica  gluucina. 

To  show  what  a  puzzle  it  has  been,  I  will  add  some  of  its  names 
found  in  books. 

Flustra  arenosa.  ELLIS  ;   Zooph.,  and  also  his  Corallines,  pi.  25,  f.  e. 

Flustre  areneuse,  LAMOUROUX  ;  Polyp,  jlex.  Ill,  No.  220. 

Flustre  arenacee,  BLAJNV.  ;  Diet,  des  Sc.  J\'at.,  and  Man.  d\4ctinol.,  446. 


NERITACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  NATICA.          233 

E'schara  lutosa,  PALLAS  ;  El.  Zooph.,  37,  No.  5. 

E'schara  millepora  arenosa  A'nglica,  RAY;  Syn.,  31. 

Alcyoniutn  arenosum,  GMELIN  ;  Syst.  Nat.,  iv.  654.    SHAW  ;  Nat.  MiscelL,  t.272. 

Discopora  cribrum,  LAM.  j  An.  sans  Vert.,  ii.  250. 

NATICA  TRISERIATA. 

Shell  ovate-globose,  whorls  five,  usually  checkered  with  three 
series  of  dark  spots  on  the  lower  whorl,  and  one  on  the  upper  whorls  ; 
umbilicus  small,  nearly  free. 

FIGURE  165. 
State  Coll.,  No.  60.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1519. 

Natica  triseriata,  SAY  ;  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.,  v.  211. 

Shell  ovate,  approaching  to  globular,  of  a  yellowish-white  or 
ash-color  ;  whorls  five,  convex,  lines  of  growth  distinct,  and 
usually  covered  with  a  thin  yellowish  epidermis  ;  lower  whorl  has 
three  revolving  series  of  twelve  to  fourteen  bluish  or  dark 
chestnut-colored,  oblique  spots,  usually  of  a  square  or  oblong 
form,  and  sometimes  crescent-shaped  ;  the  upper  one  just  below 
the  suture  ;  the  middle  one  is  divided  by  the  junction  of  the  lip, 
and  the  third  is  half  way  between  it  and  the  umbilicus  ;  the  upper 
one  is  continued  on  all  the  whorls,  but  the  next  one  disappears 
soon  ;  the  spaces  between  the  spots  often  appear  like  whitish 
bands,  and  the  sutural  region  is  of  the  same  color  ;  spire  con- 
siderably elevated,  sutural  line  delicate  ;  aperture  ovate,  lip  sharp 
and  white  within  ;  a  thick  white  callus  covers  the  inner  margin, 
very  slightly  modifying  the  umbilicus,  where  it  has  a  fissure  at  the 
posterior  margin  of  the  umbilicus  ;  a  dense  mass  of  callus,  within 
the  aperture,  at  its  upper  angle,  strengthens  the  lip  ;  throat 
colored  with  dark-chestnut,  or  transmitting  the  exterior  mark- 
ings ;  umbilicus  rather  small  and  simple,  not  much  wrinkled 
within  ;  operculum  horny.  Length  ^  inch,  breadth  J  inch. 

Found  along  the  whole  coast  to  the  north  of  Cape  Cod,  on 
flats  which  are  left  by  the  tide  at  low  water  ;  but  it  is  as  yet 
doubtful  whether  it  passes  to  the  south  of  this  limit. 

This  has  been  thought  by  some  to  be  the  young  of  the  preceding 
species.     In  general  aspect  there  is  a  resemblance ;  but  the  propor- 
30 


234   INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

tionate  length  of  this  is  greater,  the  thick,  white  callus  indicates  a 
mature  shell,  and  the  dark  portion  of  the  upper  whorls  is  at  the 
upper  instead  of  at  the  lower  portion  of  the  whorl,  as  in  N.  heros,  and 
the  umbilicus  is  proportionally  smaller  instead  of  larger,  as  is  the  case 
in  young  shells.  Besides,  I  have  never  seen  a  large  shell  in  the  lo- 
calities where  this  species  is  abundant.  The  largest  specimen  I  have 
seen,  which  I  could  distinctly  refer  to  this  species,  is  less  than  an  inch 
in  length.  It  is  evidently  analogous  to  N.  canrena  of  Europe. 

It  varies  in  marking  greatly.  Some  specimens  are  of  a  pale  yellow- 
color,  and  destitute  of  marking ;  on  some,  the  spots  blend  so  as  to 
present  alternate  bands  of  light  and  dark  color  ;  again,  some  of  the 
series  are  blended,  and  some  are  not.  The  spots  may  be  square, 
oblong,  or  crescentic,  and  are  usually  oblique.  The  ivory-white  callus 
seems  to  be  the  most  constant  character. 

NATICA   IMMACULA'TA. 

Shell  small,  sub-ovate,  solid,  bluish-white)  spotless,  glossy,  um- 
bilicus free . 

FIGURE  168. 

State  Coll.,  No.  46.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  951. 

Natica  immaculkta,  TOTTEN  ;   Sillimaris  Journ.,  xxviii.  351,  f.  6. 

Shell  sub-ovate,  extremities  rather  pointed,  solid,  milk-white, 
and  glossy  when  deprived  of  its  thin,  greenish-yellow  epidermis  ; 
spotless,  lines  of  growth  faintly  perceptible  ;  whorls  about  five, 
the  spire  very  short  and  pointed,  and  the  suture  not  impressed  ; 
the  lower  whorl  convex  and  rounded,  prolonged  at  the  base  ; 
aperture  narrow  oval,  rather  acutely  curved  at  base  ;  outer  lip 
sharp,  inner  margin  coated  with  ivory-white  callus,  not  modifying 
the  umbilicus,  but  extending  along  the  margin  to  its  posterior  limit ; 
at  the  posterior  angle  of  the  aperture  it  is  much  thickened,  and, 
running  along  under  the  junction  of  the  whorls,  causes  a  white 
spiral  line  to  appear  externally,  just  below  the  suture  ;  the  region 
before  the  umbilicus  too,  is  very  white  ;  umbilicus  rounded  and 
deep  ;  operculum  horny.  Length  J|  inch,  breadth  5\  inch. 

First  found  by  Colonel  Totten  in  Newport  harbour,  and  after- 
wards in  Provincetown  harbour.  It  is  found  plentifully  in  the 
stomachs  of  fishes  taken  in  Massachusetts  Bay. 

I  know  of  no  species  resembling  this,  except  it  be  N.  A'nglica,  of 


NERITACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  NATICA.         235 

which  some  specimens  are  said  to  be  immaculate.  But  that  shell  has 
a  more  elongated  spire,  a  broader  aperture  and  base,  and  its  greatest 
breadth  is  rather  below  instead  of  rather  above  the  middle,  as  in  this 
species.  It  is  the  smallest  species  with  which  I  am  acquainted,  though 
I  have  seen  one  specimen  f  of  an  inch  in  length  ;  and,  for  so  small  a 
shell,  it  is  remarkable  for  its  solidity. 

NATICA  CANALICULA'TA. 

Shell  ovate,  smooth,  covered  with  a  dusky  yellow-colored  epider- 
mis ;  whorls  four ;  spire  channelled  at  the  suture  ;  umbilicus  a  mere 
line. 

FIGURE  161. 

State  Coll.,  No.  43. 

Natica  canaliculate,  GOULD  ;  SUliman's  Journ.,  xxxviii.  197. 

Shell  ovate,  rather  ponderous,  dingy-white,  nearly  smooth, 
and  somewhat  glossy,  covered  with  a  dark  gamboge-colored  epi- 
dermis ;  whorls  four,  the  upper  portion  of  each  turning  before  it 
joins  the  preceding  whorl,  so  as  to  form  a  broad,  shallow  canal  at 
the  suture,  and  giving  the  spire  a  turreted  appearance  ;  aperture 
about  two  thirds  the  length  of  the  shell,  nearly  semicircular  ;  lip 
sharp,  a  little  spreading  in  front,  the  inner  margin  nearly  a  straight 
line,  and  overspread  with  a  thick  callus  ;  interior  white  ;  umbilical 
opening  a  mere  slit,  one  side  of  which  is  formed  by  the  callus, 
sometimes  altogether  concealed  ;  operculum  horny,  sub-spiral. 
Length  1-^  inch,  breadth  T77  inch. 

Taken  from  fishes  caught  on  the  Banks,  and  one  fine  specimen 
from  a  fish  caught  in  Massachusetts  Bay.  I  have  a  specimen  also 
from  the  coast  of  Norway. 

The  aspect  of  this  shell  is  such,  that  I  was  first  led  to  refer  it, 
doubtfully,  to  the  genus  PALUDI'NA.  It  very  greatly  resembles  Paludi* 
na  ponderosa,  Say.  All  doubt,  however,  on  that  point,  has  been  since 
happily  removed  through  the  kindness  of  Colonel  Totten,  who  furnished 
me  with  several  specimens  containing  the  sub-spiral  operculum. 

The  remark  of  Deshayes,  that  NATICA  is  without  an  epidermis,  will 
not  hold  good  in  regard  to  this  species,  nor,  indeed,  to  any  of 
the  species  found  on  our  coast.  He,  however,  was  aware  of  the  small 
value  of  this  characteristic,  and  alludes  to  a  species  then  under  his 
eye,  which  I  take  to  be  N.  heros,  having  the  shape  and  epidermis  of 


236    INVERTEBRATA   OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

AMPITLLA*RIA,  but  the  operculum  of  NA'TICA.  A  specimen  sent  to  me 
by  Dr.  Loven  was  regarded  by  him  as  new,  and  he  had  applied  to  it 
the  name  of  N.  exulans, 

NATICA   DUPLICA'TA. 

Shell  conical-ovate,  usually  with  a  dark  band  above  the  suture 
on  the  upper  whorls  ;  umbilicus  deeply  grooved,  and  partially  or 
entirely  covered  with  a  chestnut-colored  callus. 

FIGURES  163,  164. 
State  Coll.,  No.  56.     Society's  Coll.,  No.  78. 

Natica  duplicata,  SAY  ;  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.,  ii.  247. 

Shell  solid,  ovate,  the  upper  portion  of  the  whorls  compressed 
so  as  to  give  it  a  pyramidal  outline  ;  surface  marked  with  very 
faint  revolving  lines,  and  more  conspicuous  lines  of  growth ;  color 
light  chestnut-brown  above  a  line  marking  its  greatest  circumfer- 
ence, whitish  or  ash-colored  below  it ;  usually  having  a  dark-brown 
band  on  the  lower  portion  of  the  posterior  whorls,  and  the  upper 
portion  whitish ;  whorls  five  or  more,  spire  rather  prominent  ; 
aperture  ovate,  very  oblique  ;  outer  lip  very  thin  and  sharp,  join- 
ing the  whorl  behind  by  a  very  small  angle,  but  this  angle  is  so 
filled  up  within  with  callus,  that  the  real  aperture  is  rounded,  and 
at  a  considerable  distance  from  the  junction  of  the  lip  ;  throat 
chestnut-brown,  or  livid,  lower  portion  white,  generally  of  a 
pearly  lustre  ;  umbilicus  irregular,  having  a  deep  groove  revolving 
within  it,  and  covered  wholly  or  partly  with  a  very  thick,  chestnut- 
brown  callus  ;  operculum  horny.  Length  2  inches,  breadth  rather 
more. 

Inhabits  the  same  localities  as  N.  heros ;  is  less  common  in  the 
vicinity  of  Boston,  but  common  at  Nantucket. 

This  species  is  subject  to  considerable  variation  in  shape,  some  in- 
dividuals having  the  spire  much  more  elevated  than  others.  It  is 
easily  distinguished  by  its  conical  figure,  and  by  the  great  amount  of 
callus,  which  renders  it  a  remarkably  heavy  shell.  Specimens  along 
the  Southern  coast  are  generally  less  elevated,  more  smooth  and  brown 
than  those  found  in  Massachusetts.  I  have  a  specimen  from  the  Grecian 
island,  Syra,  which  corresponds  with  these,  except  that  the  colors  are 


NERITACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  NATICA.         237 

brighter,  and  the  shell  more  smooth,  as  might  be  expected  if  modified 
by  a  milder  climate.  A  figure  in  Lister,  (pi.  562,  f.  3,)  represents  this 
shell. 

Ndtica  conica,  of  Lamarck,  is  a  much  more  elevated  shell,  though 
his  description  might  be  applied  to  our  shell  in  every  particular. 

Its  ordinary  length  is  half  an  inch  less  than  is  given  above. 

NATICA  PUSILLA. 

Shell  small,  sub-oval,  ash-colored  ;  umbilicus  imperfect ;  oper- 
culum  horny. 

FIGURE  166. 
State  Coll.,  No.  42. 

Natica  pusilla,  SAY  ;  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.,  ii.  257. 

Shell  sub-oval,  bluish-white,  with  a  light,  ash-colored  epider- 
mis ;  surface  glossy,  smooth,  or  with  merely  microscopic  revolv- 
ing lines,  and  lines  of  growth  ;  whorls  four,  regularly  convex  ; 
spire  moderately  elevated,  blunt  ;  suture  fine  and  deep,  the  edge 
of  the  whorl  rising  a  little  by  the  side  of  it ;  sometimes  one  or 
two  faint,  brownish  bands  may  be  seen  on  the  lower  whorl  ; 
aperture  ovate,  more  than  half  the  length  of  the  shell ;  outer  lip 
thin  and  sharp  ;  inner  margin  thick,  the  callus  white,  abundant, 
and  pressed  into  the  umbilicus  so  as  to  leave  only  a  narrow,  curved 
chink  by  the  side  of  the  lip  ;  throat  white  ;  operculum  horny. 
Length  J  inch,  breadth  j  inch. 

Taken  from  fishes  caught  in  Massachusetts  Bay,  in  company 
with  N.  clausa,  and  N.  immaculata. 

Most  of  the  specimens  have  about  half  the  dimensions  above  given. 

I  was  not  a  little  gratified  in  looking  over  a  parcel  of  the  N.  clausa, 
to  find  several  specimens  differing  from  them  in  having  a  horny  in- 
stead of  a  bony  operculum,  a  partial  umbilicus,  and  no  flattening  of 
the  top  of  the  whorls.  In  color,  size,  and  general  aspect,  they  were  the 
same.  On  finding  that  this  shell  corresponds  to  Mr.  Say's  N.  pusilla, 
I  was  still  more  gratified,  inasmuch  as  it  is  represented  in  the  Cabinet 
of  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences,  at  Philadelphia,  by  a  species  of 
MARGARI'TA  (Turbo  infldtus,  Totten),  and  I  had  despaired  of  finding 
any  representative  elsewhere.  Mr.  Say  remarks,  that  it  is  generally 
mistaken  for  the  young  of  N.  duplicata.  But  the  evidences  of  ma- 


238    INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

turity  in  its  callus,  the  umbilicus,  and  the  color  of  the  throat,  suf- 
ficiently distinguish  it  from  both  N.  duplicdta  and  N.  heros. 

NATICA  CLAUSA. 

Shell  sub-globose,  more  or  less  tinged  with  brown ;  umbilicus 
closed  j  operculum  calcareous. 

FIGURE  167. 
State  Coll.,  No.  45.     Society's  Coll.,  No.  952. 

Natica  clausa,  BROD.  and  SOWEKBY  ;  Zool.  Journ.,  iv.  360.    GRAY;    Zool.  of 

Beechey's  Voy.,  136,  pi.  37,  f.  6,  and  pi.  34,  f.  3. 

Natica  consolidata,  COUTHOUY  ;  Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  ii.  89,  pi.  3,  f.  14. 
Natica  borealis,  BECK  ;  (not  Gray)  teste  Loven. 

Shell  small,  sub- globular,  surface  of  a  dim  lustre,  marked  by 
striae  of  growth  only  ;  color  from  a  livid-white,  to  dark  reddish- 
brown,  those  of  the  latter  tint  exhibiting  conspicuously  a  zone  of 
the  former  color  at  the  base  ;  epidermis  thin,  bony,  brownish 
horn-color  ;  whorls  four  or  five,  tumid,  but  a  portion  near  the 
sutures  is  slightly  depressed  ;  spire  slightly  elevated,  obtuse  ; 
suture  well  defined  ;  aperture  oval,  unusually  wide  behind  ;  outer 
lip  sharp,  thickened  and  rounded  as  it  ascends  to  the  umbilicus, 
which  is  completely  consolidated  by  an  ivory-white,  shining 
callus  ;  on  the  whorl  the  callus  is  thin,  but  a  free  deposit  of  it 
within  the  angle  firmly  supports  the  junction  of  the  lip  to  the 
whorl,  a  zone  of  which  calcareous  deposit  also  surrounds  the 
umbilical  region  ;  throat  white  ;  operculum  calcareous,  bluish- 
white.  Length  JJ  inch,  breadth  |i  inch. 

Taken  alive  from  the  stomachs  of  fishes,  plentifully. 

This  species  is  readily  distinguished  from  all  others  of  our  coast  by 
its  bony  operculum,  and  by  its  small  umbilicus,  into  which  just  enough 
of  white  callus  seems  to  have  been  crowded  to  fill  it  accurately. 

Mr.  Sowerby,  on  actual  comparison,  declares  this  to  be  his  N. 
clausa ;  and,  as  his  description  was  published  several  years  prior  to 
that  given  by  Mr.  Couthouy,  his  name  must  take  precedence.  Mr. 
Sowerby  states  it  to  be  nearly  an  inch  in  diameter ;  whereas  the  dimen- 
sions above  given  exce^H  those  of  the  specimens  usually  found  with 
us.  But,  as  it  is  evidently  an  Arctic  shell,  Mr.  Sowerby's  specimens 
having  been  brought  from  Melville's  Island,  and  I  have  seen  one  from 
the  Banks  quite  as  large  as  those  he  mentions,  I  insert  also  the  name 
given  to  it  by  Beck,  on  the  authority  of  Dr.  Loven. 


NERITACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  NATICA.         239 

NATICA  FLAVA. 

Shell  thin,  sub-globose  ;  aperture  large  ;  inner  margin  sinuous  ; 
umbilicus  none. 

FIGURE  162. 
State  Coll.,  No.  44. 

Natica  flava,  GOULD  ;  Sttliman's  Journ.,  xxxviii.  196. 

Shell  of  an  inflated,  globular  form,  light  and  thin,  white,  with 
a  bright  straw-colored  or  golden  epidermis  ;  surface  very  minutely 
checkered  with  very  faint,  revolving  lines,  and  lines  of  growth  ; 
spire  very  little  elevated,  composed  of  four  rounded  whorls,  a 
little  compressed  behind,  near  the  suture,  which  is  faintly  im- 
pressed ;  aperture  occupying  one  half  the  front  aspect  of  the  shell, 
broad  oval,  modified  by  a  curve  which  looks  as  though  it  might  be 
caused  by  a  contraction  and  obliteration  of  the  umbilicus  ;  outer 
margin  very  sharp  ;  umbilical  region  about  the  middle  of  the  left 
margin  much  retreating,  and  deeply  indented  in  most  specimens, 
though  evidently  never  open  ;  a  thin  callus,  commencing  at  the 
upper  angle,  expands  and  thickens  over  this  region,  then,  narrow- 
ing, forms  a  thick,  rounded,  ivory,  vertical  margin  to  the  front  of 
the  shell.  Length  about  1  inch,  breadth  a  little  less. 

From  the  collection  of  Colonel  Totten,  who  obtained  it  from 
the  Bank  fishing  grounds. 

The  aspect  of  this  shell  immediately  suggests  the  Helix  aperta, 
Born,  (H.  naticoides,  Drap.,)  to  which  it  bears  a  very  striking  resem- 
blance in  shape.  If  the  existence  of  an  umbilicus  is  an  essential 
characteristic  of  the  genus,  and  so  it  is  laid  down  by  Lamarck,  this 
shell  cannot  come  under  it.  There  is  no  approach  to  an  umbilicus, 
even  in  the  youngest  specimens,  the  space  intended  to  be  occupied  by 
one  having  been  apparently  thrown  into  the  aperture.  There  is  one 
other  described  species  conforming  to  the  same  type,  the  N.  Jluctudta, 
Sowerby  (Tankerville  Catal.,  p.  12),  and  figured  by  Dr.  Jay  in  his 
"  Catalogue,  1836,"  under  the  provisional  name  of  N.  imperfordta. 
Their  form  is  so  peculiar  that  Mr.  Sowerby  has  recently  grouped  them 
with  several  others  in  a  new  genus,  which  he  calls  GLOBULUS.  Swain- 
son  employs  the  word  GLOBIILARIA  as  having  a  better  termination. 


240  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

Of  the  five  specimens  I  have  examined,  three  were  mature,  and  two 
young.  In  the  oldest,  the  width  of  the  shell  is  proportionally  greater, 
and  there  is  a  tendency  to  angularity  at  about  the  upper  fourth  of  the 
last  whorl. 

GENUS  JANTHINA,  LAM. 

Shell  sub-globose,  thin,  fragile,  spire  short ;  aperture  angular 
at  the  anterior  junction  of  the  inner  and  outer  lips  ;  pillar  twisted  ; 
lip  thin,  with  a  sinus  at  the  middle. 

JANTHINA    FRAGILIS. 

Shell  thin,  brittle,  conical,  ventricose,  violaceous  beneath,  whiter 
on  the  spire. 

State  Coll.,  No.  292.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  942. 

Helix  janthina,  LIN.;  GMELIN  ;  Syst.,  3645,  No.  103.  LISTER;  Conch.,  t.  572, 
f.  24.  RUMPHIUS;  Mus.,  t.  20,  f.  2.  GUALT.;  Test.,  t.  64,  f.  O.  SLOANE  ; 
Jamaica,  t.  1,  f.  4.  BROWN;  Jamaica,  t.  39,  f.  2.  D'ARGENV.  ;  Conch.,  pi.  6, 
f.  5.  CHEMN.  ;  Conch.,  v.  t.  166,  f.  1577,  1578.  WOOD  ;  Index,  pi.  34,  t.  116. 

Janthina  fragilis,  BRUG.  ;  Encyc.  Mtth,  pi.  456,  f.  1.  Ann.  du  Mus.,  xi.  123 
(animal).  BLAINV.  ;  Malacol.,  pi.  37  bis.,  f..l  a.  SOWERBY;  Conch.  Man., 
f.  333. 

Janthina  communis,  LAM.  ;  Jin.  sans  Vert.,  (1st.  ed.)  vi.  206. 

Shell  globose-conic,  thin,  brittle,  transparent ;  whorls  three  or 
four,  forming  a  short  spire,  the  last  one  very  large,  and  angular  at 
the  middle  ;  beneath  the  angle  the  color  is  deep  violet,  lighter 
about  the  axis,  and  above  it  the  color  is  merely  tinted  with  violet, 
a  little  darker  at  the  suture  ;  surface  shining,  wrinkled  by  the  lines 
of  growth,  and  with  short,  oblique  wrinkles  above  the  angle  of 
the  last  whorl,  and  marked  with  revolving  lines  beneath  that  angle ; 
aperture  large,  semi-oval,  outer  lip  very  thin,  retiring  as  it  passes 
the  angle  of  the  whorl,  so  as  to  produce  a  shallow  recess  ;  inner 
lip  cylindrical,  straight,  corresponding  with  the  axis  of  the  shell. 
Length  T\  inch,  breadth  1  inch. 

The  Janthina  floats,  by  means  of  a  mass  of  vesicles,  at  the 
surface,  throughout  the  wide  ocean,  and  is  not  unfrequently  driven 
upon  the  ocean  shores  by  storms.  After  a  severe  gale,  in  the 


MACROSTOMATA.  MOLLUSCA.  VELUTINA.          241 

autumn  of  1839,  great  numbers  of  them  were  collected  on  the 
shores  of  Nantucket,  some  specimens  of  which  were  furnished 
me  by  T.  A.  Greene,  Esq.,  of  New  Bedford. 

FAMILY  MACRO  STOMATA,  LAM. 

Shell  ear-shaped,  the  aperture  much  dilated,  margins  disunited  posteriorly  ; 
operculum  none. 

GENUS  VELUTiNA,  BLAINV. 

Shell  small,  thin,  sub-globose,  composed  of  two  rapidly  enlarg- 
ing volutions ;  aperture  large,  sub-ovate,  lip  thin,  not  joined 
behind  ;  usually  covered  with  a  velvety  or  powdery  epidermis* 

VELUTI'NA  LJEVIGATA. 

Shell  obliquely  ovate,  very  fragile,  consisting  principally  of  the 
last  of  three  whorls ;  epidermis  brown,  rising  into  regular,  equidis- 
tant, spiral  folds. 

FIGURE  159. 

State  Coll.,  No.  125.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2408.- 

Helix  Isevigata,  LIN.  and  English  authors.    DONOVAN  ;  Brit.  Shells,  t.  105.     MON- 
TAGU :   Test.  Brit.,  382. 

Helix  haliotoidea,  FABR.  (non  Lin.) ;  Fauna  GrasnL,  No.  387. 
Bulk  velulina,  MULLER  ;    Zool.  Dan.,  iii.'t.  101,  f.  1  to  4. 
Velutina  capuldidea,  BLAINV.  ;  Malacol.,  pi.  xlii.  f.  4. 

Velulina  rupicola,  CONRAD  ;   Journ.  dead.  Nat.  St.,  vi.  266,  pi.  xi.  f.  17, 18. 
Galericulurn  laevigatum,  BROWN  ;  Conch,  of  Great  Brit.,  fyc.,  pi.  38,  f.  35,  3& 

Shell  obliquely  ovate  or  ear-shaped,  very  thin  and  fragile,' 
transparent,  flesh-colored,  or  reddish-white  ;  whorls  three,  the' 
last  extremely  large  and  distended,  the  others  very  small,  turned 
to  one  side,  and  partly  sunken  within  the  last  ;  suture  distinct ; 
surface  faintly  marked  with  the  lines  of  growth,  and  covered  with 
a  thick,  brownish  epidermis,  which  is  raised  at  close  and  regular 
intervals  into  fringe-like  ridges  revolving  round  the  shell ;  aperture 
ample,  rounded-oval  ;  lip  extremely  thin,  but  thickening  a  little  as 
it  rises  upon  the  body  of  the  shell ;  the  two  lips  uniting  behind  by 
a  plate  of  enamel  crossing  the  body  of  the  shell,  which,  in  mature 
31 


242    INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

shells,  renders  the  aperture  nearly  circular ;  interior  smooth  and 
shining.     Diameter  about  T\  inch,  length  a  little  more. 

Found  among  the  sea-weed  on  the  sea-beach,  and  in  the  stomachs 
of  fishes.  Mr.  Conrad  states,  on  the  authority  of  Dr.  Pickering, 
that  it  dwells  on  rocks,  with  habits  like  the  PATE'LLA.  But  the 
fact  of  so  fragile  a  shell  being  usually  found  entire  in  the  stomachs 
of  fishes,  rather  forbids  this  idea.  It  could  not  be  detached  by 
them  without  being  fractured. 

This  shell,  as  hitherto  found,  is  extremely  fragile,  seeming  to  con- 
sist almost  entirely  of  epidermis,  with  a  small  deposition  of  calcareous 
matter  within.  The  ordinary  English  specimens  are  said  to  be  of  about 
the  size  of  a  pea,  or  perhaps  twice  as  large  ;  but  it  sometimes  becomes 
three  fourths  of  an  inch  in  diameter.  I  sent  our  ordinary  specimens  to 
Mr.  G.  B.  Sowerby,  who  sent  larger  ones  in  return,  assuring  me  of 
their  identity.  These  differ  from  the  shell  as  we  find  it,  in  being  more 
solid,  the  epidermis  more  wrinkled  lengthwise,  the  surface  shining 
where  this  is  removed,  and  the  lowest  whorl  is  disunited  from  the  pre- 
ceding one  at  the  aperture.  These  changes  may  all  be  attributed  to 
age.  We  may  anticipate  finding  specimens  of  equal  size  here,  since 
we  have  already  found  them  four  times  as  large  as  the  one  described 
by  Mr.  Conrad,  who  allows  the  very  close  affinity  of  his  minute  one 
to  the  lavigata  of  Europe. 

The  quoting  of  Bulla  velutina  by  Lamarck  as  a  synonym  to  his 
Sigaretus  haliotoideus  is  plainly  erroneous.  The  Helix  haliotoidea 
of  Fabricius,  which  is  the  Bulla  velutina  of  Miiller,  is  not  the  H.  hal- 
iotoidea of  Linna3us  and  others  ;  and  hence  the  probable  misquotation. 

The  figure  in  Pennant's  "British  Zoology"  is  poor;  that  of  Blain- 
ville  represents  the  common  appearance  when  arrived  at  that  size,  the 
transverse  wrinkles  becoming  more  conspicuous  than  the  revolving 
ones,  which  evidently  become  obsolete  with  age.  The  white  zone 
which  he  represents,  however,  I  have  never  seen.  Brown's  figure  is 
very  good  for  a  shell  of  the  size,  and  Conrad's  is  sufficiently  character- 
istic for  specimens  as  we  usually  find  them. 

VELUTINA  ZONA'TA. 

Shell   oval-orbicular,    compressed,   pellucid,     covered    with  a 
striped,  calcareous  incrustation ;  inner  lip  flattened  and  channelled. 

FIGURE   160. 


MACROSTOMATA.  MOLLUSCA.  VELUTINA.         243 

State  Coll.,  No.  126.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2409. 

Shell  thin,  opake,  white,  and  in  some  places  pellucid,  minutely 
striated  both  ways  ;  whorls  less  than  three,  the  first  two  minute, 
and  not  seen  when  the  shell  is  viewed  in  front  ;  the  last,  widening 
with  great  rapidity,  becomes  large,  though  it  is  not  tumid,  but 
appears  rather  depressed  as  it  lies  upon  the  aperture  ;  the  surface 
is  covered  with  a  chalky  incrustation,  deposited  by  the  animal, 
apparently  instead  of  an  epidermis  ;  it  is  white,  or  flesh-colored, 
and  generally  with  numerous  zones  of  brown,  of  various  widths  ; 
when  this  is  removed,  the  shell  is  left  pellucid  ;  aperture  ovate, 
ample,  nearly  the  whole  length  of  the  shell,  more  than  double  the 
size  of  the  body  of  the  shell ;  outer  lip  sharp  and  spreading  ; 
inner  lip  sharp-edged,  but  margined  by  a  flattened,  crescent- 
shaped,  white,  channelled  space  ;  the  sharp  edge  is  lost  as  it  re- 
volves within  the  shell,  and  a  thin  plate  of  enamel  covers  the 
space  between  it  and  the  junction  of  the  outer  lip.  Length  •£$ 
inch,  breadth  J£  inch. 

Specimens  have  been  found  on  Chelsea  Beach,  but  are  most 
easily  obtained  from  fishes. 

It  is  readily  distinguished  from  the  preceding  by  its  more  solid  struc- 
ture, its  flattened  form,  its  expanded  aperture,  the  flattening  of  the 
left  lip,  and  the  peculiarity  of  the  surface.  Mr.  Sowerby  sent  a  speci- 
men from  a  raised  beach  on  the  Frith  of  Clyde,  labelled  "  Galericulum 
undatum.  Brown,"  which  is  partly  fossilized,  but  bears  a  very  close  re- 
semblance to  our  shell.  The  most  marked  differences  in  the  shell  I 
received  are,  the  greater  breadth  and  excavation  of  the  flattened  lip, 
and  a  more  irregular  exterior,  which,  from  the  name  it  bears,  I  sup- 
pose to  be  constant.  It  may  also  be  the  shell  figured  in  Brown's 
"  Conchology  of  Great  Britain,"  as  Galericulum  ovatum,  but  nowhere 
described.  The  peculiar  coating  of  the  shell  adheres  very  closely, 
and  might  not  be  detected  except  by  accident.  Perhaps  it  does  not 
always  exist ;  but  in  the  striped  specimens  it  will  always  be  found.  I 
should  think  that  specimens  entirely  white,  or  flesh-colored,  are  as 
often  found  as  the  zoned  ones.  In  one  fish,  caught  off  Cape  Ann,  I 
found  about  a  dozen  very  large  and  beautiful  specimens. 


.244  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

GENUS  SIGAR^TUS,  LAM. 

Shell  ear-shaped,  aperture  ample,  spire  small  and  depressed, 
pillar  spiral. 

SlGARETUS    HALIOTOIDEUS. 

Shell  obliquely  ovate,  pellucid,  white,  compressed ;  aperture  very 
large  ;  spire  minute  and  lateral. 

FIGURE    158. 

State  Coll.,  No.  54.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  964. 

Helix  haliotoidea,  LIN.  ;  Syst.  Nat.,  1250.    MARTINI  ;  Conch.,  i.  t.  16,  f.  151. 

Bulk  haliotoidea,  MONTAGU  ;  Test.  Brit.,  211,  pi.  7,  f.  6,  and  vign.  2,  f.  6.  MA- 
TON  and  RACKETT;  Lin.  Trans.,  viii.  123.  BROWN;  Encyc.  Brit.,  vi.  462. 
Wpoq  ;  Index,  pi.  18,  f.  61 . 

Sigaretus  haliotoideus,  LAM.;  An.  sans  Vert.,  (Isted.)  vi.  208.  FLEMING;  Edin. 
Encyc.,  vii.  66.  Brit.  Anim.y  360.  BROWN  ;  Conch,  of  Great  Brit.,  fyc.,  pi.  44, 
f.  1,2. 

Ox/noe  glabra,  CODTHOUY  ;  Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  ii.  90,  pi.  3,  f.  16. 

Shell  small,  obliquely  ovate,  thin,  pellucid,  white,  smooth  and 
shining  ;  lines  of  growth  very  faint  ;  whorls  two,  the  first,  situated 
towards  one  side,  is  a  mere  nucleus  for  the  last,  which  otherwise 
constitutes  the  whole  shell ;  aperture  nearly  the  whole  area  of  the 
shell ;  outer  lip  sharp,  entire,  and  somewhat  expanded  ;  inner 
lip  sharp,  with  the  edge  a  little  turned,  regularly  curved  in  conr 
formity  to  the  left  outline  of  the  shell,  and,  entering  the  cavity  of 
J;he  spire,  is  seen  to  terminate  there  ;  in  the  other  direction,  the 
curvature  suddenly  ceases,  and,  forming  a  slight  angle,  goes  on- 
ward to  join  the  outer  lip  ;  a  thin  plate  of  enamel  connects  the 
two  lips  above.  Length  J  inch,  breadth  f  inch. 

Several  specimens  of  this  shell  have  been  found,  all  of  them 
in  the  stomachs  of  fishes.  They  are  about  equal  in  size,  but  vary 
somewhat  in  shape  and  convexity.  The  shell  is  precisely  the 
same  as  the  European  one  bearing  the  above  name. 

As  it  is  not  certain  that  its  entire  animal  has  yet  been  seen,  its  genus 
remains  undetermined.  Mr.  Couthouy  rejects  the  genus  SIGARETUS, 
because,  from  what  he  saw  of  the  animal,  he  judged  the  shell  to  be 
external,  and  adopted  the  genus  OXY'NOE  of  Rafinesque,  with  which 


PLICACEA.  MOLLUSCA.        TORNATELLA.      245 

no  one  has  any  acquaintance  except  its  author,  and  no  characters 
are  given  of  its  shell  except  that,  it  is  exterior  and  bul la-form.  It  seems 
better,  therefore,  to  leave  it  where  the  conformation  of  the  shell  would 
place  it,  and  where  others  have  arranged  it,  until  its  animal  is  fully 
known,  and  its  place  determined.  It  will  most  probably  be  found  to 
belong  to  the  genus  CORIOCELLA.  . 

FAMILY  PLICACEd,  LAM. 

•Aperture  not  spreading ;  pillar  plaited. 

GENUS   TORNATELLA,  LAM. 

Shell  oval,  spirally  grooved,  whorls  few  ;  aperture  long,  narrow, 
rounded  before  ;  outer  lip  thin,  inner  lip  spirally  twisted  to  form  a 
fold. 

TORNATE'LLA  PUNCTO-STRIA'TA. 

Shell  minute,  white,  sub-oval ;  whorls  four  or  Jive,  the  lowest  one 
large,  the  lower  half  marked  with  revolving,  punctured  lines  ; 
suture  deep  ;  fold  of  columella  distinct. 

FIGURE   188. 
State  Coll.,  No.  31.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2367. 

Tornatella  puncto-striata,  ADAMS  ;  Bost,  Journ.  Nat.  Hist..,  iii.  323,  pi.  3,  f.  9. 

Shell  minute,  white,  elongated-oval,  inclining  to  ovate  ;  whorls 
four,  perhaps  five,  the  lowest  one  at  least  three  fourths  the  length 
of  the  shell,  distended,  the  portion  above  the  aperture  plain  and 
smooth,  the  remainder  marked  with  ten  to  fifteen  deep,  rather 
distant  revolving  lines,  which  are  indented  with  minute  punctures  ; 
the  other  whorls  form  a  short,  rapidly  diminishing  spire,  and  each 
of  them  is  flattened  so  as  to  form  a  shoulder  at  the  suture,  which 
is  deep  and  somewhat  channelled.  Aperture  narrow,  two  thirds 
the  length  of  the  lower  whorl,  widening  downwards  ;  outer  lip 
sharp  and  simple,  regularly  curved,  not  very  broadly  rounded  at 
base  ;  pillar  thickened,  exhibiting  a  prominent  fold  ;  umbilical 
region  depressed,  and  in  immature  specimens  it  is  open.  Length 
-j-1^  inch,  breadth  ?3T  inch,  divergence  60°. 

Found  by  Professor  Adams  in  mud  dredged  up  from  New  Bed- 
ford harbour. 


246  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

This  is  the  smallest  species  hitherto  described,  but  it  bears  every 
mark  of  maturity.  It  has  a  general  resemblance  to  the  T.  tornatilis 
of  Europe,  but  the  spire  is,  shorter  and  less  acutely  pointed.  The 
punctured  revolving  lines,  which  cover  the  anterior  half  of  the  lower 
whorl,  are  constant  and  decisive  marks  of  distinction,  in  addition  to  its 
minute  size. 


FAMILY  SCALJlRlNA,  LAM. 

Shell  without  plaits  on  the  pillar  ;  margins  of  the  aperture  circularly 
united. 

GENUS  VERMJ^TUS,  ADANSON. 

Shell  tubular,  spiral  at  the  apex,  irregularly  and  loosely  twisted 
towards  the  aperture  ;  operculum  horny. 

VERME'TUS   LUMBRICA'LIS. 

Shell  conic-tubular  •  usually  many  tubes  are  intertwined  into  a 
group  ;  unequal  strioz  run  the  whole  length  of  the  tube. 

State  Coll.,  No.  56.      Soc.  Cab.,  No.  922. 

Serpula  lumbricalis,  LIN.;    Syst.  JYat.,  1266.     LISTER;    Conch.,  t.  548,  f.  1. 

MARTINI;  ConcA.,  i.  48,  t.  2,  f.  12  B.     DILLWYN;  CataL,  ii.  1078.    KNORR; 

Vergn.,  ii.  t.  13,  f.  1. 

Vermicularia  lumbricalis,  LAM.  ;  Syst.  des  Jin.  sans  Vert.,  97. 
Verraetus  lumbricalis,  LAM.  ;  An.  sans  Vert.    SOWERBY  ;  Conch.  Man.,  f.  345. 

Shell  consisting  of  a  long,  rough,  ash-colored,  conical  tube, 
marked  with  numerous,  unequal,  raised  lines  along  its  whole 
length.  At  the  pointed  end  is  a  spire  of  eight  or  ten  closely 
connected  whorls,  upon  each  of  which  are  two  sharp,  elevated 
ridges.  This  portion  usually  lies  in  a  horizontal  direction,  and  is 
attached  by  one  side  to  some  foreign  body.  The  coil  then  be- 
comes ascending  and  lax  until  it  can  barely  be  called  tortuous. 
The  aperture  is  circular,  with  a  sharp,  simple  edge,  and  is  closed 
by  a  horny  operculum,  having  a  central  nucleus,  and  concentric 
elements. 

The  length  of  the  closely  spiral  portion  is  from  half  an  inch  to 
an  inch  ;  it  is  then  continued  indefinitely.  Some  of  my  specimens 
must  be  eight  or  ten  inches  in  length.  Diameter  of  aperture 


SCALARIANA.  MOLLUSCA.  SKENEA.  247 

about  one  fourth  of  an  inch.  It  is  very  seldom  that  one  specimen 
is  found  by  itself;  numbers  are  usually  grouped  and  intertwined 
with  each  other. 

A  very  fine  group  was  hooked  up  by  a  friend  in  New  Bedford 
harbour,  containing  not  less  than  fifty  individuals,  inseparably  in- 
tertwined. The  living  animals  then  occupied  them.  Professor 
Adams  has  also  found  small  ones  in  the  same  region.  Several 
specimens  of  Cumingia  tellinoides  were  entangled  within  the  folds, 
and  in  one  of  the  tubes  was  a  Crepidula  plana.  In  the  case  of 
this  shell  we  have  the  paradox  of  the  apex  or  commencement  of 
the  shell  being  situated  beneath  the  base. 

GENUS  SKENEA,  FLEMING. 

Shell  minute,  discoidal ;  whorls  few,  and  destitute  of  spines ; 
aperture  dilated  ;  operculum  horny. 

SKE'NEA  SERPULOIDES. 

Shell  minute,  discoidal,  concavely  umbilicated  beneath,  horn- 
colored,  whorls  three,  mouth  expanded. 

FIGURE  189. 
State  Coll.,  No.  55.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2411. 

Helix  serpuloides,  MONTAGU  ;     Test.  Brit.,  Suppl,  147,  pi.  21,  f.  3.     DILLWYN  ; 

Catal.,  ii.  884. 

Turbo  serpuloides,  TDRTON  ;  Conch.  Diet.,  228.    WOOD  ;  Index,  pi.  32,  f.  165. 
Delphinula  ?  serpuloides,  ADAMS  ;  Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  iii.  334. 
Delphinoidea  serpuloidea,  BROWN  ;  Conch,  of  Great  Brit.,  fyc.,  pi.  51,  f.  40,  41. 
Skenea  serpuloides,  FLEMING  ;  Brit.  Anim.,  313. 

Shell  minute,  flat,  slightly  convex  above,  and  broadly  concave 
below,  forming  a  deep  umbilicus,  which  displays  all  the  whorls 
within  ;  whorls  three,  smooth,  a  little  depressed,  light  horn-color ; 
apex  scarcely  elevated  ;  suture  channelled  ;  aperture  turning 
downwards,  circular,  somewhat  trumpet-shaped,  in  contact  with, 
but  not  embracing  any  part  of,  the  preceding  whorl ;  lip  sharp, 
and  receding  so  as  to  form  an  acute  gap  as  it  joins  the  preceding 
whorl ;  operculum  horny,  multi-spiral,  the  apex  central.  Breadth 
•f-y  inch,  height  -^  inch. 

Clings  to  stones  lying  about  low-water  mark.     I  have  found  it 


248  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

occasionally,  but  Professor  Adams  has  found  it  in  great  numbers 
along  the  southwestern  shore  of  East  Boston. 

It  is  clearly  described,  and  accurately  figured  by  Montagu,  but  its 
generic  place  is  very  doubtful.  It  is  allied  to  DELPHI'NULA,  and 
Brown,  in  his  "  Conchology  of  Great  Britain,"  &c.,  figures  several  co- 
species,  and  embraces  them  in  a  genus  which  he  calls  DELPHINOIDEA. 
The  genus  SK£NEA,  of  Fleming,  is  adopted  in  preference,  because  its 
characteristics  have  been  described. 


GENUS    SCALARIA,  LIN. 

Shell  turreted,  spire  long,  composed  of  rounded,  sometimes  sep- 
arated whorls,  crossed  by  elevated  ribs  ;  aperture  oval ;  lip  con- 
tinuous, reflected. 

SCALARIA  NOV-A'NGLIJE. 

Shell  white,  whorls  convex,  and  barely  in  contact ;  ribs  numerous, 
slender,  unequal,  and  with  numerous,  fine,  revolving  lines,  in 
the  intervening  spaces  ;  umbilicated. 

State  Coll.,  No.  43.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2410. 

Scalaria  Nov-Angliae,  COOTHOUV  ;  Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  ii.  96,  pi.  3,  f.  5. 

Shell  turreted,  elongated,  thin,  of  a  glossy  white-color,  with 
here  and  there  an  irregular  rusty  blotch  ;  whorls  ten,  cylindrical, 
barely  touching  each  other,  crossed  by  eleven  somewhat  oblique, 
delicate  bars,  of  a  pure  white-color,  three  or  four  of  which,  on 
the  lower  whorls,  are  more  robust  than  the  rest ;  the  bars  do  not 
cross  the  sutures,  and  each  has  a  little  spine  at  its  posterior  termi- 
nation. The  space  between  the  ribs  is  thickly  marked  with  very 
fine  revolving  lines,  which  are  also  crossed  by  still  finer  ones  ; 
aperture  nearly  circular,  bordered  by  a  robust  rib,  with  a  spine 
like  the  others,  flattened  so  as  to  form  a  blunt  angle  at  its  anterior 
portion,  and  partially  concealing  a  small  umbilicus.  Length  ^ 
inch,  greatest  breadth  \  inch. 

Only  one  specimen  has  as  yet  been  found,  and  this  was  taken 
from  the  stomach  of  a  fish  caught,  off  Cape  Ann,  by  Mr. 
Couthouy. 


SCALARIANA.  MOLLUSCA.  SCALARIA.         249 

It  very  much  resembles  S.  multistriata.  Say,  but  that  shell  is  de- 
scribed as  imperforate,  whereas  this  has  a  small  umbilical  opening ; 
and  no  mention  is  made  of  the  ribs  being  crowned  by  a  spine.  In 
general  form  it  is  also  like  S,  clathrus,  but  that  is  imperforate,  and  is 
smooth  between  the  ribs.  To  the  S.  mucrondta,  Risso,  it  is  also  closely 
allied, 

SCALA'RIA  GRCBNLA'NDICA. 

Shell  elongated,  regularly  tapering  to  a  point,  of  a  livid  color  ; 
whorls  ten,  in  close  contact,  moderately  convex,  and  traversed  by 
flattened,  white  ribs,  the  intervening  spaces  with  distant,  coarse, 
revolving  lines ;  no  umbilicus. 

FIGURE  160. 
State  Coll.,  No.  49.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1634. 

Turbo  clathrus  Grcenlandicus,  CHEMN.  ;  Conch.,  xi.  t.  1878, 1879. 

Scalaria  planicosta,  KIENER;  Iconog.,  (Scalaria^)  pi.  vii.  f.  21. 

Scalaria  subulata,  COUTHOUY  ;  Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  ii.  93,  pi.  3,  f.  4, 

Shell  turreted,  long,  and  regularly  tapering  to  a  fine  point,  of 
a  dead  bluish-white  or  livid-brown  color  ;  whorls  ten,  rather 
flattened,  barred  with  eight  to  fifteen  stout,  flattened,  oblique, 
white  ribs,  some  of  which  are  apparently  double  ;  ribs  not  termi- 
nating abruptly,  but  bending,  and  flowing  along  the  sutural  space  to 
the  preceding  ones  ;  the  intervening  space  is  marked  by  six  or 
eight  coarse,  rounded,  equidistant  ridges  and  revolving  lines  ;  a 
single  one,  nearly  as  elevated  as  the  ribs,  revolves  from  the  upper 
angle  of  the  aperture  ;  aperture  nearly  round,  bordered  by  a  rib  ; 
left  lip  a  little  expanded,  and  projecting  into  a  perceptible  angle  in 
front.  Length  1  inch,  greatest  breadth  •£$  inch,  divergence  34°. 
Found  thrown  upon  Nahant  Beach,  and  taken  from  fishes 
caught  in  Massachusetts  Bay,  and  at  the  Grand  Banks,  abundant- 
ly. Mr.  Couthouy  found  one  alive  at  Phillips's  Beach,  the  animal 
of  which  he  describes  nearly  as  follows  : 

Jlnimal  yellowish-gray,  thickly  and  irregularly  marked  with 
dull-whitish  spots,  most  conspicuous  on  the  sides  of  the  neck  ; 
foot  short,  thick,  and  nearly  quadrangular  ;  head  elongated,  round- 
ed superiorly,  not  separated  from  the  neck  by  any  distinct  line  ; 
tentacula  two,  about  an  eighth  of  an  inch  long  ;  eyes  small,  black 
32 


250  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

and  shining,  at  the  outer  base  of  the  tentacula  ;  mouth  rather  large, 
rounded,  corrugated  ;  operculum  horny,  strong,  opake,  of  few 
turns.  It  was  sluggish  in  its  movements,  and  fed  eagerly  upon 
fresh  beef,  especially  if  somewhat  macerated. 

Two  imperfect  shells  in  my  possession,  which  I  had  supposed  to  be 
S.  Turtbnis,  I  am  now  satisfied  belong  to  this  species.  They  are  three 
or  four  times  as  large  as  the  shells  observed  by  Mr.  Couthouy,  and 
ordinarily  found.  But  by  comparison  with  specimens  of  S.  Turtbnis 
sent  me  by  Mr.  Sowerby,  I  find  the  color  different,  and  the  brown 
bands  entirely  wanting  in  our  shell.  In  S.  Turtbnis  the  whorls  are 
more  numerous,  and  more  convex ;  the  ribs  are  more  delicate,  and  the 
intervening  revolving  lines  are  more  numerous  and  far  more  delicate. 
Moreover,  Mr.  Sowerby,  in  indicating  it  to  be  the  Turbo  dathrus  Green- 
Idndicus  of  Chemnitz,  and  hence  called  Scaldria  Grcenlandica,  ob- 
serves, that  it  sometimes  attains  the  length  of  two  inches  and  a  half. 
On  account  of  the  flatness  of  the  whorls,  and  the  suture  being  partially 
filled  by  the  ribs,  this  shell  has  the  outline  of  a  TE'REBRA. 
i 

SCALA'RIA  LINEA'TA. 

Shell  conical,  white,  with  eight  whorls,  traversed  by  sixteen  to 
eighteen  delicate  ribs,  and  the  lower  one  by  a  revolving,  raised  line 
and  one  or  more  brownish  bands ;  aperture  oval ;  lip  strong ; 
umbilicus  none. 

State  Coll.,  No.  50.      Soc.  Cab.  No.  3200. 

Scalaria  linekta,  SAY  ;  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.,  ii.,  242.    Jlmer.  Conch.,  pi.  27. 

Shell  elongated-conical,  pointed,  white  or  tinged  with  brown- 
ish ;  whorls  eight,  rounded,  not  disjoined,  but  defined  by  a  well- 
impressed  suture  ;  about  sixteen  to  eighteen  very  delicate  and 
slightly  raised  longitudinal  ribs,  not  crossing  the  suture,  traverse 
each  one  ;  intervening  spaces  smooth  ;  a  raised  line  or  rather 
step,  originating  from  the  junction  of  the  lips,  revolves  on  the 
lower  whorl,  and  defines  the  upper  edge  of  a  reddish-brown  re- 
volving band  ;  another  fainter  band  is  usually  seen  just  below  the 
suture.  Aperture  sub-oval,  bordered  by  a  strong,  rounded  lip, 


SCALARIANA.  MOLLUSCA.  SCALARIA.       251 

which  is  a  little  expanded  at  the  anterior  angle.     Umbilicus  none. 
Length  about  |  inch,  breadth  J  inch,  divergence  36°. 

Found  by  Mr.  C.  F.  Shiverick,  at  New  Bedford  and  vicinity. 

It  differs  from  S.  Nov-A'nglia  in  its  more  robust  and  firm  struct- 
ure, its  more  numerous  ribs,  raised  shoulder,  and  bands  on  the  lower 
whorl,  its  absence  of  umbilicus  and  revolving  lines,  &c.  It  belongs  to 
the  South,  and  is  not  uncommon  there.  Mr.  Say  speaks  of  it  as  sub- 
ject to  considerable  variety  in  the  size  of  the  ribs,  the  breadth  of  the 
colored  bands,  &c. 

SCALA'RIA  MULTISTRIA'TA. 

Shell  white ;  spire  acute  •  whorls  eight ;  ribs  numerous,  the  spa- 
ces between  them  marked  with  fine  revolving  lines ;  umbilicus  none. 

State  Coll.,  No.  51.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  928. 

Scalkria  multistr&ta,  SAY  ;  Amer.  Conch.,  pi.  27. 

Shell  rather  small,  solid,  white,  acutely  conic  ;  whorls  eight, 
very  convex,  in  firm  contact,  but  well  defined  by  the  suture  ;  ribs 
numerous,  varying  in  number  from  fourteen  to  twenty,  equidistant, 
and  moderately  elevated,  simple,  erect,  rounded  at  edges ;  spa- 
ces between  them  marked  with  numerous  fine  revolving  lines. 
Aperture  rounded-ovate,  more  than  one  fourth  the  length  of  the 
shell,  margined  by  a  rib  ;  pillar  lip  thick  and  rounded  ;  umbilical 
opening  none.  Length  -£  inch,  breadth  ¥\  inch,  divergence  30°. 

Two  small  specimens,  which  I  think  must  be  regarded  as  of 
this  species,  were  found  by  Mr.  Shiverick,  outside  of  Dartmouth 
harbour. 

They  vary  in  some  respects  from  the  description  of  Mr.  Say.  The 
number  of  whorls  is  only  seven,  and  of  ribs  thirteen.  But  ours  are 
small  specimens,  less  than  one  fourth  of  an  inch  in  length ;  and  Mr. 
Say  gives  only  sixteen  ribs  in  his  description,  whereas,  an  undoubted 
specimen  before  me,  has  as  many  as  twenty.  The  specific  character 
seems  to  consist  in  the  revolving  lines  between  the  ribs,  and  the  desti- 
tution of  an  umbilicus.  In  this  last  respect  it  differs  from  S.  Nov- 
A'nglia,  while  it  corresponds  with  that  shell  in  the  first  character,  and 
in  its  general  outline.  Other,  and  probably  larger,  specimens  will  be 


252  INVERTEBRATA  OP  MASSACHUSETTS. 

found,  and  all  doubts  may  thereby  be  removed.  Should  it  prove  a 
distinct  species,  Professor  Adams  has  proposed  for  it  the  name  of  S. 
pulchella. 

FAMILY  TUEBINACEA,  LAM. 

Shell  turreted  or  conoid ;  aperture  rounded  or  oblong,  not  spreading ;  lips 
disunited  posteriorly. 

GENUS  MARGARiTA,  LEACH. 

Shell  conical,  moderately  elevated  ;  whorls  few,  sub-inflated ; 
aperture  rounded.,  imperfect  posteriorly ;  lip  sharp  ;  umbilicus  deep  ; 
operculum  multi-spiral ;  the  nucleus  central. 

MARGARITA  CINE'REA. 

Shell  low-conical,  thin,  ash-colored,  umbilicated,  with  four  to  six 
elevated  and  numerous  smaller  revolving  ridges,  and  regular,  erod- 
ed, elevated  lines  of  growth. 

State  Coll.,  No.  128.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2278. 

Turbo  cinereus,  COUTHOUY;  Bost.Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  ii.  99,  pi.  3,  f.  9. 
Trochus  costalis,  LOVE^N  ;  in  letters. 

Shell  small,  thin,  of  a  low  conical  or  pyramidal  shape  ;  color  a 
dull  ashy-white,  sometimes  tinted  with  green  ;  whorls  five  to 
seven,  convex,  and  rendered  angular  by  prominent,  irregularly  dis- 
posed revolving  ridges,  of  which  from  four  to  six  are  more  ele- 
vated, with  less  conspicuous  intervening  ones  ;  and  the  lowest  of 
these  elevated  ridges  forms  a  limit,  at  which  the  whorl  slopes  ab- 
ruptly, and  presents  a  broad,  slightly  convex  base,  marked  with 
fine,  equal,  and  equidistant  revolving  lines  ;  the  whole  surface  is 
also  covered  with  crowded,  very  fine,  and  distinctly  prominent 
lines  of  growth  ;  the  umbilicus  is  broad  and  deep,  and  bounded  by 
the  last  revolving  line,  which  forms  an  angle  terminating  at 
the  most  anterior  point  of  the  otherwise  circular  aperture, 
and  here  causes  an  angular  prolongation;  outer  lip  regularly 
curved,  sharp,  finely  scolloped  ;  it  rises  on  the  left  margin,  and 
terminates  just  behind  the  umbilicus,  slightly  expanding  and  par- 


TURBINA'CEA.  MOLLUSCA.  MARGARITA.         253 

tially  covering  it ;  a  very  thin  stratum  of  enamel  sometimes  extends 
across  the  body  of  the  shell  ;  throat  within,  with  lines  correspond- 
ing to  the  external  marking  ;  operculum  circular,  multi-spiral. 
Height  |  inch,  base  a  little  less. 

Found  in  a  very  fresh  and  beautiful  condition,  but  rather  rare  as 
yet,  in  the  stomachs  of  fishes  caught  in  Massachusetts  Bay. 

It  is  distinguished  by  the  beautiful,  sharp  lines  of  growth,  which  are 
not  interrupted  by  the  spiral  ridges,  and  by  these  ridges  covering  all 
the  base  ;  also,  by  the  slight  projecting  angle  of  the  aperture.  It  is  very 
closely  allied  to  M.  striata,  Broderip  and  Sowerby,  "  Zool.  Journ.,"  iv. 
371,  and  figured  in  Sowerby's  "  Conch.  Illust.,"  (Margarita)  fig.  3.  By 
the  kindness  of  Mr.  Sowerby,  however,  I  have  been  enabled  to  com- 
pare the  two.  In  M.  striata  the  whorls  are  not  angulated  by  the  re- 
volving lines,  the  largest  of  which  are  not  larger  than  those  on  the 
base  of  our  shell,  while  its  base  is  nearly  smooth ;  its  umbilicus  is 
much  smaller.  In  color,  size,  and  general  shape,  the  shells  are  alike. 

MARGARI'TA  OBSCU'RA. 

Shell  depressed-conical,  solid ;  spire  obscure,  reddish-brown,  base 
ash-colored;  whorls  angulated  by  two  or  three  revolving  ridges; 
lines  of  growth  coarse;  aperture  circular,  pearly  within. 

FIGURE  161. 
State  Coll.,  No.  33,     Soc.  Cab.,  No,  2279. 

Turbo  obscurus,  CODTHOUY  ;  Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  ii.  100,  pi.  3,  f.  2. 

Shell  small,  solid,  orbicular,  low-conical,  of  a  dull  reddish- 
brown  above,  and  of  a  light  ash-color  at  base  ;  whorls  five,  con- 
vex, and  rendered  angular  about  the  middle  by  a  prominent  re- 
volving ridge  ;  on  the  lower  whorl  are  often  one  or  two  less  con- 
spicuous ridges,  and  numerous  very  fine  lines  ;  on  the  base  these 
are  so  faint,  as  to  be  usually  imperceptible  without  a  magnifier  ; 
these,  with  rather  coarse  lines  of  growth,  somewhat  prominent  at 
intervals,  often  produce  an  indented  or  cellular  appearance  on  the 
surface  ;  umbilicus  large  and  deep,  bounded  by  a  sharp,  angular 
ridge  ;  aperture  circular  ;  lip  simple  and  sharp ;  within  iridescent ; 
operculum  horny,  multi-spiral.  Height  ^  inch,  diameter  of  base 
irV  inch. 

Found  rather  plentifully  in  fishes  caught  off  Nahant. 


254  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

It  has  a  general  resemblance  to  M.  cintrea,  but  it  is  more  solid,  less 
elevated,  less  angular,  revolving  lines  fewer  and  less  elevated,  the  base 
smoother,  the  aperture  more  simple  and  circular,  and  the  color  very 
different. 

It  may  perhaps  be  identical  with  M.  costellata,  Sowerby,  described  in 
the  "  Malacological  and  Conchological  Journal,"  No.  1.,  and  figured 
in  his  "  Conchological  Illustrations"  (Margarita)  fig.  15.  On  inspection, 
Mr.  Sowerby,  though  not  having  his  shell  at  hand  for  comparison,  re- 
gards it  as  distinct  from  M.  costellata. 

When  the  exterior  is  worn  off,  the  shell  beneath  is  found  to  be  of  a 
brilliant  silvery  lustre,  with  crimson  reflections,  rendering  it  one  of  the 
most  attractive  shells  found  in  our  waters. 

MARGARI'TA  UNDULA'TA. 

Shell  orbicular,  low-conical,  dark  flesh-color,  encircled  with 
regularly  disposed  spiral  lines,  alternately  larger  and  smaller, 
coarsely  plaited  at  the  sutures. 

FIGURE  162. 
State  Coll.,  No.  35.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2277. 

Margarita  undulata,  SOWERBY;  Malacol.  and   Conchol.  Mag.,  i.  26.     Conchol 

Illust.,  (Margarita),  f.  4. 
Turbo  incarnatus,  COUTHOUY;  Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  ii.  98,  pi.  3,  f.  13. 

Shell  thin,  orbicular,  depressed-conical,  usually  of  a  bright 
brownish-red  color  ;  sometimes  rose-red,  at  others  pale  flesh- 
colored  ;  whorls  four,  convex,  somewhat  flattened  above,  undu- 
lated near  the  suture  by  short  folds  or  wrinkles,  and  encircled  by 
numerous,  elevated,  smooth  spiral  lines  at  uniform  distances,  and 
for  the  most  part  alternately  larger  and  smaller  ;  base  considerably 
flattened,  of  a  lighter  color,  and  with  finer  striae  ;  umbilicus  broad, 
funnel-shaped,  distinctly  bounded  by  a  spiral  line,  and  partially 
covered  by  the  reflected  inner  lip  ;  aperture  nearly  circular,  very 
oblique  ;  lip  sharp,  slightly  jagged  ;  throat  pearly,  with  greenish 
and  golden  reflections  ;  operculum  thin,  horny,  multi-spiral. 
Height  T3F  inch,  base  T4T  inch. 

Found  in  great  numbers  in  the  stomachs  of  fishes,  and  also 
alive  on  Phillips's  Beach.  Mr.  Sowerby  received  it  from  the 
Arctic  Ocean. 


TURBINACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  MARGARITA.         255 

This  beautiful  shell  cannot  be  mistaken  for  any  other  species  on  the 
American  Atlantic  coast.  Its  color,  its  regular  spiral  lines,  undulated 
sutural  region,  and  pearly  aperture,  render  it  a  very  beautiful  shell, 
having  more  of  the  aspect  of  a  tropical,  than  of  a  northern  shell.  Mr. 
Sowerby's  description  and  figure  were  published  in  the  same  month 
in  which  Mr.  Couthouy  read  his  description  to  the  Boston  Society  of 
Natural  History ;  and  we  must,  therefore,  allow  his  name  the  right  of 
priority. 

There  is  considerable  variety  in  the  coloring ;  the  freshest  young 
shells  are  of  a  rose-red,  and  of  a  more  depressed  form  ;  the  majority 
are  of  a  brownish  red ;  the  undulations  are  seldom,  but  sometimes, 
wanting. 

MARGARITA  A'RCTICA. 

Shell  orbicular,  depressed,  smooth  and  shining,  translucent,  of 
a  light  horn-color,  with  veryjine  revoking  lines  on  the  base ;  aper- 
ture circular. 

FIGURE  163. 

State  Coll.,  No.  36.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  895. 

Margarita  arctica,  LEACH  ;  in  Ross's  Voyage  of  Discovery,  8vo.  1819.  Appendix. 
SOWERBY;  Malacol.  and  Conchol.  Mag.,  part  i.  25.  Conchol.  Must.,  (Marga- 
rita), f.  C. 

Margarita  helicoides,  BECK  ;  MS. 

Turbo  inflatus,  TOTTEN  ;  Silliman's  Journ.,  xxvi.  368,  f.  5,  a,  b,  c. 

Paludina  inflata,  MENKE  ; 

Shell  small,  orbicular,  depressed,  thin  and  translucent,  smooth 
and  shining,  of  a  light  yellowish  horn-color  or  light  olive  ;  whorls 
four  or  five,  very  convex,  the  last  very  large  and  tumid,  a  little 
flattened  above  ;  minutely  wrinkled  by  the  lines  of  growth,  and  at 
its  base  marked  with  very  fine  spiral  lines  ;  suture  well  impressed  ; 
aperture  large,  circular,  somewhat  expanded  ;  edge  sharp  and 
simple,  a  little  reflected  at  the  umbilicus,  which  is  large  and  pro- 
found, not  bounded  by  an  angular  ridge  ;  operculum  horny,  multi- 
spiral.  Length  ^  inch,  breadth  nearly  -^  inch. 

Found  abundantly  on  all  our  sandy  beaches.  In  some  seasons, 
however,  I  have  looked  for  them  almost  in  vain.  Their  proper 
habitat  is  the  deep  sea,  as  they  are  thrown  up  alive,  on  the  large 


256     INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

leaves  of  Laminaria.  They  were  received  by  Leach  and  Beck 
from  Greenland,  Baffin's  Bay,  and  the  Arctic  Seas.  I  have  ob- 
tained them  of  a  much  larger  size  than  is  given  by  any  other 
observer. 

It  is  a  very  pretty  shell,  generally  iridescent,  or  reflecting  a  metallic, 
bronze  lustre.  It  has  more  the  aspect  of  a  land  or  fresh-water  shell, 
than  that  of  a  «ea  shell.  It  is  not  likely  to  be  confounded  with  any 
other  species  except  the  following. 

I  have  given  this  species  as  the  M.  drctica.  Leach,  in  accordance 
with  the  opinion  of  Mr.  Sowerby,  who  compared  our  shells  with  the 
authentic  specimens  in  the  British  Museum. 

I  must  confess,  also,  that  in  comparing  the  descriptions  of  M.  vul- 
garis  and  M.  drctica  in  the  "  Malac.  and  Conch.  Magazine,"  and 
specimens  of  M.  vulgaris,  sent  me  by  Mr.  Sowerby  with  small  speci- 
mens of  the  above  described  shell,  I  can  perceive  no  essential  distinc- 
tion, excepting  in  size  ;  the  first  is  said  to  be  palish,  the  second  oliva- 
ceous. 


MARGARI'TA  ARGENTA'TA. 

Shell  depressed-conical ,  of  a  pearly-white  color,  covered  with 
microscopic,  revolving  lines  ;  umbilicated. 

FIGURE  164. 

State  Coll.,  No.  35.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2412. 

Shell  minute,  conical,  with  an  obtuse  tip,  of  a  dead  pearly- 
white  color  ;  composed  of  four  convex  whorls,  the  last  of  which 
is  very  slightly  angular  ;  the  next  above  is  elevated,  but  the  up- 
permost, and  frequently  the  two  uppermost,  are  not  elevated  above 
the  succeeding  whorl,  so  that  the  apex  is  obtuse  ;  everywhere 
covered  with  crowded  and  very  fine  revolving  lines  ;  suture  deep; 
aperture  circular  ;  lip  sharp,  simple  ;  interior  pearly  and  irides- 
cent ;  umbilicus  moderately  large.  Length  TJ¥  inch,  breadth  } 
inch. 

Found  in  fishes  caught  off  Cape  Ann,  and  Cohasset,  in  consid- 
erable numbers. 


TURBINACEA.  MOLL  CISC  A.  LITTORINA.       257 

It  is  the  smallest  of  the  species  of  this  genus  that  we  find.  It  is  most 
obviously  distinguished  from  small  specimens  of  the  last  species  by  its 
dead  surface,  which  may  be  well  compared  to  chased  silver  ;  and,  on  a 
more  intimate  'examination,  it  is  found  to  have  more  uniform  and  de- 
cided revolving  lines,  and  its  spire  is  more  elevated. 

I  was  at  first  disposed  to  regard  it  as  the  M.  cfarnea,  Lowe ;  (Zool. 
Journ.,  li.  107,  pi.  v.  f.  12,  13,  132).  But,  in  the  following-  essential 
characters  belonging  to  that,  it  differs  from  our  shell,  viz.  an  acutely 
pointed  spire,  an  angular  aperture,  and  a  uniform  yellowish  flesh- 
color.  The  revolving  lines,  too,  are  said  to  be  elevated  and  sub-distant, 
terms  which  allow  of  much  latitude  of  meaning,  but  which  we  should 
not  be  likely  to  apply  to  the  c'rowded,  miscroscopic  lines  on  our  shell. 
They  appear  quite  conspicuous  on  the  figure  quoted.  The  young  of 
M.  undulata  would  answer  better  to  that  description.  If  it  is  not  M. 
ctirnea,  it  has  not  been  described ;  Mr.  Sowerby  hesitates  to  call  it  so. 

GENUS  LITTORiNA,  Ffc'RFSsAtf. 

Shell  thick,  top-shaped,  spire  of  a  few  rounded  whorls ;  aper- 
ture entire,  rounded-ovate,  large ;  outer  lip  sharp,  inner  lip  some- 
what flattened ;  lips  not  continuous  posteriorly  -y  operculum  horny, 
spiral.- 

LITTORINA  RUDIS. 

Shell  strong  and  coarse,  volutions  convex  and  well  defined, 
with  revolving  ridges ;  pillar  flattened,  prolonged  so  as  to  form  ah 
angle  in  front ;  color  yellowish. 

FIGURE  165v 

State  Coll.,  No.  39.     goc.  Cab.,  No.  881. 

Turbo  rudis,  DONOVAN  ;•  Brit.  Shell*,  i.  t  33,  f.  3.    MONTAGU  ;  Test.  Brit.,  304. 

TURTON'S  LIN.  ;  iv.  480.  Conch.  Diet.,  197.   CHEMN.;  Conch.,  v.  t.  185,  f.  1853. 

MATON  and  RACKETT  ;  Lin.  Trans.,  viil.  159,  t.  4,  f.  12,  13.    WOOD  5  Index,  pi. 

30,  f.  7.  LAM. ;  An.  sans  Vert.,  (Isted.,)  vii.  49.  FLEMING ;  Brit.  Mm.,  298. 
Turbo  obligaliis,  SAY;  Journ.  Jlcad.  Nat.  Sc.,  ii.  24T. 

Shell  broad-ovate,-  strong  and  coarse,  generally  yellowish  or 

ash-colored,  sometimes  orange  or  olive,  for  the  most  part  of  one 

uniform  color,  but  occasionally  banded  with  white,  or  blotched 

with  some  lighter  color  ;  surface  marked  with  very  perceptible 

S3 


258  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

and  sometimes  conspicuous  revolving  lines  and  grooves  ;  whorls 
four  or  five,  convex,  well  defined  by  the  suture,  forming  a  moder- 
ately elevated  spire,  rather  obtuse  at  its  apex ;  last  whorl  three 
fourths  the  length  of  the  shell  ;  aperture  one  half  the  same,  ob- 
liquely broad-ovate  ;  outer  lip  bevelled  within  to  a  sharp  edge  ;  the 
pillar  margin  is  broadly  flattened,  and,  widening  forwards,  projects 
so  as  to  form  an  angle  ;  within  colored,  generally  brown,  except  the 
bevelled  edge,  which  is  yellowish-white ;  operculum  horny,  sub- 
spiral  ;  sometimes  a  small  umbilical  indentation  is  found.  Length 
^  inch,  breadth  f  inch,  divergence  68°. 
Found  on  rocks  of  the  ocean  shore. 

It  is  usually  of  a  much  smaller  size  than  above  mentioned.  Indeed, 
had  it  not  been  for  a  few  large  specimens  sent  me  by  Dr.  L.  M.  Yale, 
from  Martha's  Vineyard,  which  correspond,  in  every  respect,  with 
specimens  of  L.  rudis  received  from  Mr.  Sowerby,  I  should  not  have 
recognised  the  species.  The  small  specimens,  such  as  we  usually 
find  on  the  ocean  rocks,  answer  well  to  Mr.  Say's  description  of  Turbo 
obligatus,  and  were  doubtless  the  shells  intended  by  him.  They  are 
usually  darker  colored,  and  more  mottled,  than  adult  specimens.  Mr. 
Say  thought  his  specimens  might  be  mere  varieties  of  his  T.  palliatus, 
with  obtuse,  elevated,  revolving  lines.  He  must  have  inadvertently 
associated  them  with  that  species,  to  which  they  have  no  affinity,  in- 
stead of  with  his  T.  vestitus,  to  which  they  are  closely  allied,  and 
from  which  they  would  not  be  distinguished  by  the  unpractised  eye. 
The  conviction  that  they  are  the  L.  rudis,  has  greatly  diminished  the 
number  of  what  I  had  regarded  as  varieties  of  L.  tenebrosa. 

The  variations  consist  in  the  greater  or  less  prominence  of  the  re- 
volving lines  ;  sometimes  these  are  almost  imperceptible,  and  at  others 
they  would  bear  the  name  of  ribs.  The  coloring  is  principally  yellow, 
of  various  shades  ;  some  small  specimens  are  quite  white  ;  many  are 
olive  and  grey.  Dr.  Loven  has  named  a  flesh-colored  variety  L.  in- 
carnata. 

From  L.  palliata,  it  is  distinguished  by  its  more  elevated  spire,  and 
distinctly  defined  whorls,  its  striated  surface,  and  the  compression  of 
the  lip  in  front,  so  as  to  form  an  angle  ;  from  L.  tenebrosa,  it  differs  in 
its  less  elongated  spire,  its  larger  aperture,  encircled  as  it  were  by  a 
broad,  thick,  flattened  rim. 

I  have  not  seen  the  animal,  but  Montagu  says  it  is  yellowish,  with- 
out stripes  or  spots ;  the  tentacula  of  the  same  color,  marked  with  a 


TURBINACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  LITTORINA.        259 

dusky  streak  on  the  outside.  If  so,  we  should  'have  another  decisive 
distinguishing  mark. 

After  long  and  careful  observation  and  study  of  the  myriads  of  speci- 
mens on  our  shores,  so  infinitely  varied  in  proportions,  coloring,  and 
sculpture,  I  have  become  satisfied  in  my  own  mind,  to  what  species 
they  should  be  referred.  The  limits  of  the  species  too,  in  adult  speci- 
mens, are  decidedly  marked  both  by  the  shells  themselves  and  by 
the  animals.  But,  as  to  the  young,  to  use  the  language  of  Montagu, 
"  the  shades  and  gradations  are  so  intimately  blended,  that  it  is  scarce 
possible  to  determine  what  marks  a  characteristic  line  of  division." 
The  angle  of  the  front  I  regard  as  the  most  constant  character  of  the 
last  species. 

It  seems  almost  incredible  that  Mr.  Say  should  have  drawn  upon  the 
State  of  Maine  for  specimens  of  shells,  which  are  so  extensively  dis- 
tributed, and  so  innumerable  with  us;  and  still  more  incredible, that, 
from  the  few  specimens  which  he  probably  received,  he  should  have 
discriminated  and  described  the  three  species  so  accurately,  though,  if 
my  conclusions  are  correct,  some  of  them  were  previously  described. 

LITTORI'NA  TENEBRO'SA. 

Shell  ovate-conical;  spire  elevated^  whorls  tumid,  with  numerous 
revolving  lines,  dark-green  or  dusky-brown,  with  interrupted 
cream-colored  lines ;  aperture  circular ;  purplish-chocolate  within, 

FIGURE    166. 

State  Coll.,  No.  38.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  879. 

Turbo  tenebrosus,  MONTAGU  ;  Test.  Brit.,  303,  t.  20,  f.  4.  MATON  and  RACKETT  ; 
Lin.  Trans.,  viii.  160.  DILLWYN  ;  Catal.,  ii.  818.  TURTON;  Conch.  Diet.,  197, 
f.  36,  37.  BROWN  ;  Conch,  of  Great  Brit.,  fyc.  FLEMING  ;  Brit.  Anim.,  298. 

Turbo  vestitus,  SAY  ;  Journ.  dead.  Nat.  Sc.,  ii.  241. 

Shell  small,  ovate-conical,  rather  thin,  dark-olive  or  dusky- 
brown,  usually  prettily  checkered  with  buff-colored,  broken  lines, 
generally  obscured  by  a  gray  or  rusty  coating  ;  spire  elevated  and 
pointed,  of  five  or  six  rounded,  tumid  whorls,  marked  with  ob- 
scure revolving  lines  ;  suture  well  defined  ;  lower  whorl  two 
thirds  the  length  of  the  shell ;  aperture  less  than  one  half,  nearly 
circular  ;  outer  lip  thin  and  sharp,  yellowish,  thickening  a  little  as 
it  meets  the  flattened  and  slightly  everted  pillar  lip,  forming  a 


260  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

slightly  perceptible  angle  at  base  ;  throat  deep  chocolate  or  pur* 
plish-brqwn  ;  operculum  thin,  shining,  horny,  brown.  Length  \ 
inch,  breadth  ¥\  inch,  divergence  65°. 

This  species  is  found  about  sluggish  waters,  wharves,  bridges, 
ditches  and  pools  upon  marshes,  on  the  mud,  and  climbing 
culms  of  grass.  It  is  often  found  on  the  marshes  at  a  consider- 
able distance  from  any  water,  but  I  do  not  recollect  that  I  have 
ever  found  it  at  the  open  sea,  where  it  was  liable  to  sustain  any 
violence  from  currents  or  the  surf. 

The  animal  has  a  dark-olive  head,  and  an  olive  stripe  on  the 
tentacula,  from  the  eye  ;  the  sides  of  the  foot  are  beautifully  Iine4 
with  the  same,  and  it  is  very  sluggish  in  its  movements.  It  lives 
a  week  or  more,  after  being  removed  from  the  water. 

Actual  comparison  of  our  shell  with  the  British  Turbo  tenebrbsus, 
the  authority  of  Mr.  Sowerby,  its  correspondence  with  the  descriptions 
and  figures  above  cited,  and  the  similarity  of  habit,  render  their  iden? 
tity  quite  certain. 

Its  distinctive  points  are,  the  elevation  of  the  spire,  formed  of  very 
tumid  whorls,  abrupt  and  not  sloping  at  the  suture ;  the  short,  nearly 
circular  moyth,  with  its  thin,  yellow  lip,  the  very  partial  flattening  of 
the  inner  lip  producing  a  very  slight  angular  curve  in  front ;  the 
dark  purplish-brown  interior ;  and  above  all,  the  olive-colored  head  and 
markings  of  the  animal. 

Its  varieties  of  form  are  not  great,  consisting  in  the  greater  or  less 
elevation  of  the  spire.  In  coloring,  it  is  not  so  variable  as  L.  pdlliata. 
It  is  generally  very  dark*green,  interrupted  with  dashes  of  buff;  but 
sometimes  it  is  dark-chocolate  color,  or  light-grey,  and  the  widest  va? 
riety  I  have  seen  is  a,  dark-brown,  with  one,  two,  or  three  bands  of 
white.  In  sculpture,  there  is  considerable  variation,  consisting  in  the 
deeper  or  more  superficial  revolving  grooves.  In  most  cases,  howr 
ever,  there  are  none  distinctly  visible  to  the  naked  eye. 

The  limits  of  the  species  are  not  very  readily  declared;  but  I 
now  suppose  it  to  be  a  less  variable  species  than  I  had  at  first  thought. 
jSome  further  remarks  on  it  may  be  found  under  L.  rudis. 

LITTORINA  PALLIA'TA, 

Shell  small,  globular-ovate,  thick,  smooth ;  spire  small  and  de- 
pressed, generally  of  one  color,  or  variegated  with  bands  and  spots  ; 
aperture  rounded,  outer  lip  sharp,  pillar  widely  flattened. 


TUH9INACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  LITTORINA.       261 

FIGURE  167. 
State  Coll.,  No.  40.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1648. 

Turbo  palliatus,  SAY;  Jonrn.  Acad.Nat.  Sc.,  ii.  240. 

Turbo  neritoides  ?  LIN.  ;  Syst.,  1232.     CHEMN.  ;  Conch.,  v.  234, 1. 185,  f.  1854. 

Shell  semi-globular,  solid,  smooth  and  shining,  with  very  faint 
revolving  lines,  and  lines  of  growth ;  color  variable,  white,  yel* 
low,  orange,  olive,  slate,  and  brown  ;  usually  of  a  single  color, 
but  often  striped,  banded,  or  spotted  in  various  ways  with  darker 
and  lighter  colors  ;  whorls  four,  the  last  very  large,  and  the  others 
scarcely  rising  above  it ;  suture  faintly  marked,  scarcely  denoting 
the  limits  of  the  whorls ;  aperture  nearly  circular,  the  lip  bevelled 
within,  to  a  sharp  edge  ;  the  pillar  margin  broadly  flattened  and 
white,  continuous  with  the  outer  lip  ;  color  of  the  interior  corre^ 
spending  to  the  exterior  cojor  ;  operculum  horny,  semi-heart- 
shaped,  smooth,  sub-spiral.  Length  T%.  inch,  breadth  T9T  inch, 
divergence  85°. 

Found  along  the  whole  coast.  Their  resorts  are  usually  exposed 
to  the  open  sea.  They  are  found  on  rocky  shores  in  great  abun>- 
dance,  and  at  low  tide  are  easily  obtained  from  the  rocks  and 
rock-weed,  to  which  they  cling,  and  on  which  they  are  seen  in 
rapid  motion. 

The  animal  has  the  head  orange,  darker  above,  and  the  foot  of 
a  drab  or  cream  color. 

The  varieties  of  coloring  are  innumerable ;  combining  the  colors 
above  mentioned  in  every  possible  manner.  They  consist  principally, 
however,  in  bands  of  different  widths,  from  hair  lines,  up  to  a  third  of 
the  width  of  the  body  whorl ;  but  the  surface  is  sometimes  reticulated, 
or  marked  with  triangular  spots. 

The  great  points  of  distinction  are  the  smooth  surface,  short,  depress* 
ed  spire,  broadly  flattened  pillar,  and,  above  all,  the  orange -colored 
head  of  the  animal, 

Its  proportions  vary  with  its  age.  While  young  the  aperture  is  not 
much  longer  than  the  spire,  but  at  maturity  it  is  seven  eighths  of 
the  length  of  the  shell. 

This  shell  would  by  many  be  considered  the  same  as  the  Turbo  ne- 
ritoides of  authors.  It  may  be  the  T.  neritoides  of  Linnaeus,  but 
not  of  Ferussac  and  Lamarck.  I  have  sent  our  shells  to  Mr.  Sowerby 


262    INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

and  Dr.  Loven,  who  are  of  the  opinion  that  they  are  distinct.  To 
some  of  the  small  European  specimens,  parallels  might  be  produced 
from  our  largest  ones  ;  but  in  general  the  spire  of  our  shell  is  less  de- 
pressed, has  no  decided  angle  bounding  the  flattened  spire,  and  it  is 
less  narrowed  forwards.  Mr.  Sowerby  sent  a  shell  labelled  Litt.  ex- 
pdnsa,  Brown,  from  the  Frith  of  Forth,  which  much  more  closely  re- 
sembles our  shell.  Dr.  Loven  has  given  to  a  dirty  olive-colored  shell 
from  the  coast  of  Norway  the  name  of  L.  squalida  ;  but  it  is  precisely 
the  same  as  similarly  colored  shells  of  this  species.  As  there  is  still 
so  much  cause  for  doubt,  it  seems  better,  for  the  present  at  least,  to 
retain  Mr.  Say's  specific  name. 

GENUS  LACUNA,  TDRTON. 

Shell  globose  or  conical,  thin  ;  spire  consisting  of  a  few  rapidly 
enlarging  whorls ;  aperture  semi^lunar  ;  inner  lip  oblique,  flatten- 
ed; umbilicus  forming  a  lengthened  groove  along  the  pillar. 

LACUNA  VINCTA. 

Shell  small,  ovate~conical,  with  Jive  rounded  volutions,  encircled 
by  four  or  five  purplish-brown  bands,  and  very  numerous,  minute } 
undulating  lines. 

FIGURE    168. 
State  Coll.,  No.  41.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  915. 

Turbo  vinctus,  MONTAGU  ;   Test.  Brit.,  307,  pi.  20.  f.  3.     TURTON  ;  Conch.  Diet., 
195,  f.  92,  93.    WOOD  ;  Index,  pi.  31,  f.  69.    DILLWYN  j    Catal.,  ii.  844.    MA- 
TON  and  RACKETT ;  Lin.  Trans.,  viii.  167. 
Turbo  quadrifasciatus,  FLEMING  ;  Brit.  Jlnim.,  299.     • 
Lacuna  pertusa,  CONRAD  j  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.,  vi.  266,  pi.  11,  f.  19. 

Shell  small,  thin,  ovate-conic  ;  spire  pointed,  composed  of  five 
very  convex  whorls,  separated  by  a  fine  and  deep  suture,  of  a 
dingy-white  or  purplish  horn-color ;  the  lower  one  encircled  by 
four  darker  chestnut-colored  bands,  two  of  which  revolve  upon 
the  posterior  whorls  also  ;  the  surface  is  also  marked  by  faint 
lines  of  growth,  and  numerous,  flexuous,  revolving  marks,  which 
require  a  magnifier  to  render  them  conspicuous  ;  aperture  nearly 
orbicular ;  outer  lip  sharp  thin  and  simple  ;  pillar  lip  white,  flat- 
tened, and  excavated  by  a  smooth,  crescent-shaped  groove,  termi- 


TURBINACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  LACUNA.         263 

nating  in  an  umbilicus  ;  as  the  two  margins  join  each  other  at  the 
base,  they  form  a  slight  projecting  angle.  A  slight  angular  ridge 
revolves  from  the  upper  angle  of  the  aperture,  on  some  specimens 
quite  perceptible.  Operculum  horny,  sub-spiral.  Length  -J  inch, 
breadth  T3T  inch,  divergence  58°. 

Variety  FUSCA.  Figure  169.  Shell  proportionally  shorter, 
more  solid  and  opake,  of  a  darker,  generally  uniform  color,  some- 
times yellowish,  and  sometimes  purplish  horn-color,  occasionally 
with  one  or  two  bands,  or  banded  shades  ;  the  mouth  more  angu- 
lar, and  the  angular  revolving  ridge  more  frequently  conspicuous. 

Found,  driven  up,  on  all  our  beaches,  and  alive  among  the  roots 
of  Lamindria  and  other  marine  plants,  attached  to  stones  and 
shells,  and  dragged  by  storms  from  deep  water. 

It  is  easily  distinguished  from  all  our  shells  by  its  peculiar  umbili- 
cus, and  its  elongated  form,  by  which  it  is  distinguished  from  the  next 
species.  The  size  above  given  is  larger  than  in  most  specimens,  but 
not  so  large  as  in  many.  It  is  undoubtedly  the  L.  vincta  of  the  British 
shores,  as  settled  by  actual  comparison- and  the  opinion  of  Mr.  Sower- 
by.  Mr.  Conrad  seems  not  to  have  been  acquainted  with  the  L.  vinc~ 
ta',  when  he  described  his  L.  pertusa,  distinguishing  it  from  L.  quad- 
rifascidta.  The  variety  is  found  in  about  equal  numbers  with  the 
type.  It  does  not  depend  on  age  ;  for  small  young  specimens  are 
proportionally  short,  dark,  and  solid.  But  the  approaches  to  each  other 
are  so  insensible,  that  I  do  not  venture  to  make  a  species  of  it ;  but 
attach  to  it,  as  a  variety,  a  name  some  years  since  proposed  for  it 
by  A.  Binney,  a  Representative.  It  may  prove  to  be  a  technical  spe- 
cies, and  perhaps  is  actually  the  Turbo  candlis,  Mont. 

LACUNA  NERITOIDEA. 

Shell  globular-ovate,  with  three  whorls  and  a  half,  the  last 
very  large,  smooth,  yellowish-green  ;  aperture  semi-lunar,  oblique  ; 
umbilicus  large  and  deep. 

FIGURE  170. 
State  Coll.,  No.  35.     Soc.  Cab.,  2413. 

Lacuna  neritoidea,  GOULD  ;  Sillimari's  Journ.,  xxxviii.  197. 


264  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

Shell  small,  thin,  hemispherical,  or  obliquely  ovate  ;  whorls 
three  and  a  half,  regularly  convex,  minutely  wrinkled  near  the  su- 
ture,- and  with  an  occasional  transverse  scratch ;  otherwise 
smooth,  and  covered  with  a  rough,  greenish-yellow  epidermis  ; 
the  sutural  region  is  depressed  and  sub-channelled  ;  the  spire  is 
scarcely  prominent  above  the  very  large  lower  whorl,  and  is 
placed  a  little  to  one  side  ;  aperture1  oblique,  semi-circular,  angles 
a  little  rounded  J  outer  lip  sharp  ;  inner  lip  straight,  like  a  rounded 
white  rib,  broadest  and  twisted  behind  ;  at  the  side  of  it  is  a  nar- 
row, crescentic,  white  space,  bounded  externally  by  the  continua- 
tion of  the  sharp  lip,  along  which  a  groove  runs,  terminating  in  a 
deep  umbilicus  ;  operculum  horny,  sub-spiral.  Length  -J-  inch, 
greatest  breadth  £  inch,  divergence  95°. 

A  few  specimens  of  this  shell  have  been  collected  at  different 
times  on  Chelsea  Beach.  It  is  probably  floated  ashore  on  sea- 
weed. 

It  is  sufficiently  distinct  from  specimens  of  Turbo  pallidulus,  sent  me 
from  Europe  for  comparison,  by  its  narrower  channelled  space,  and 
its  smaller  umbilicus ;  and  more  especially  by  the  aperture  not  being 
at  all  trumpet-shaped,  or  angular,  as  in  that  shell.  They  are  so  near- 
ly alike,  however,  that  it  is  very  difficult  to  delineate,  either  by  de- 
scription or  figures,  distinctions  which  are  very  obvious  oh  inspection. 
I  have  received  it  from  Dr.  Loven,  labelled,  doubtfully,  L.  Montagui, 
Turton. 

GENUS  CINGULA,  FLEMING. 

Shell  small,  thin,  elongated,  of  several  whorls  ;  aperture  small, 
entire,  the  lip  continuous  posteriorly ;  operculum  horny;  sub-spiral. 

A  group  of  small  shells  here  referred  to,  seems  to  present 
characters  which  entitle  it  to  a  generic  rank.  These  shells  differ 
from  the  short,  solid  LITTORI  N^E  by  their  elongated  form,  and 
thin,  horny  structure  ;  and  the  animal  has  a  prolonged  muzzle, 
which  that  of  LITTORI'NA  has  not.  Fleming  divides  his  genus  into 
two  sections  ;  first,  those  which  have  the  "outer  lip  thickened 
by  a  rib,"  and  which  answer  to  the  genus  RI'SSOA  of  Fremin- 
ville,  a  well-marked  genus;  second,  those  with  the  "outer  lip 


TURBINACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  CINGULA.          265 

not  thickened,"  to  which  I  would  restrict  the  genus  CI'NGULA, 
and  which  seem  also  to  constitute  the  genus  HYDROBIA  of 
Hartmann,  judging  merely  from  references  made  to  it, 

CI'NGULA  MINUTA. 

Shell  minute,  elevated  conic,  thin,  smooth,  yellowish' green; 
whorls  jive,  convex ;  suture  distinct. 

FIGURE  171. 
State  Coll.,  No.  37.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1365. 

Turbo  rainutus,  TOTTEN  j  Silliman's  Journ.t  xxvi.  369,  f.  7. 

Shell  minute,  ovate-conic,  elevated,  obtuse  at  apex,  thin,  yel- 
lowish-brown, or  dark  horn-color  when  containing  the  animal  ; 
usually  coated  with  a  dark-green  pigment,  or  some  minute  vege- 
table ;  whorls  five,  convex,  faintly  wrinkled  by  the  lines  of 
growth,  the  two  upper  ones  forming  an  obtuse  apex,  and  the  low- 
est less  than  two  thirds  the  whole  length  of  the  shell ;  suture  dis- 
tinct, with  a  slight  shoulder  to  the  whorl  near  it ;  aperture  about 
one  third  the  length  of  the  shell,  oval,  the  lips  united  in  mature 
shells  by  a  loosely  attached  enamel,  which  rises  before  an  umbili- 
cal pit  ;  operculum  horny,  sub-spiral.  Length  of  large  specimens 
-go  inch,  breadth  T\-  inch,  divergence  28°. 

Animal.  Head  proboscidiform,  dusky-brown,  or  blackish, 
half  as  long  as  the  black-tipped  tentacula  ;  eyes  on  a  partial  ped- 
uncle or  dilatation  on  the  exterior  base  of  the  tentaclula  ;  region  of 
the  mouth,  the  tentacula,  and  a  stripe  each  side  of  the  neck,  leav- 
ing a  pyramidal  dark  line  between,  of  a  light  drab-color  ;  foot 
oval,  bifid,  and  dilated  into  wings  before,  rounded  behind,  dusky 
above,  and  pale  beneath.  Motions  very  active. 

Found  plentifully  on  sea-weed,  and  on  moist  banks,  about  high- 
water  mark,  especially  on  the  thread-like  plants  which  grow  in 
ditches  and  brackish  pools  about  marshes,  in  company  vfhh-Litto- 
rina  tenebrosa. 

It  is  closely  allied  to  several  species  received  from  Europe,  and 

perhaps  identical  with  some  one  of  them ;  as  the  Littorma  Balthica, 

from  Copenhagen  ;  the  Turbo  ulvce,  from  England  ;  and  the  Paludina 

therm&lis,  from  France.     But,  as  the  shell  has  been  submitted  to  Mr. 

34 


266    INVERTEBRATA   OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

Sowerby,  and  he  did  not  pronounce  it  a  European  species,  but  sent 
the  last-named  shell  as  the  nearest  allied  to  it  of  all  the  species  with 
which  he  is  acquainted,  and  as  it  certainly  is  not  identical  with  that,  I 
shall  not  venture  to  claim  for  it  any  more  remote  history  than  that 
given  by  Colonel  Totten. 

This  shell  is  so  plain  as  to  present  no  striking  mark  of  distinction, 
and  it  is  consequently  not  easy  to  describe  it.  The  only  shells  liable 
to  be  confounded  with  it,  are  the  Odostomia  fusca  and  O.  exigua ;  a 
slight  examination  of  the  aperture  readily  solves  any  doubt  on  this 
point. 

i 

Cl'NGULA    ACULEUS. 

Shell  minute,  sub-cylindrical;  whorls  convex,  covered  icith  regu- 
lar, microscopic  revolving  lines ;  aperture  ovate ;  umbilicus  partial. 

FIGURE  172. 
State  Coll.,  No.  32.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2359. 

Shell  minute,  ovate-cylindrical,  elongated,  light  yellowish  horn- 
color  ;  whorls  six,  convex,  and  separated  by  a  deep  sutural 
region  ;  the  two  upper  ones  forming  a  blunt  apex,  the  lowest 
rather  more  than  half  the  length  of  the  shell  ;  the  whole  covered 
with  regular,  crowded,  microscopic  revolving  lines ;  aperture  one 
third  the  length  of  the  shell,  oval,  oblique,  angular  behind,  the  mar- 
gin simple  and  entire,  barely  touching  the  preceding  whorl,  some- 
what expanded,  and  on  the  left  side  elevated,  and  slightly  turn- 
ed over  an  umbilical  depression  or  chink  ;  operculum  horny. 
Length  -/s  inch,  breadth  T'j  inch,  divergence  23°. 

Found  sparingly  on  the  partially  decayed  timbers  of  an  old 
wharf,  and  plentifully  on  stones,  about  low-water  mark,  at  East 
Boston. 

It  is  a  small,  but  well  characterized  shell,  distinguished  by  its  elon- 
gated form,  its  entire  aperture,  and  the  minute  spiral  lines  with  which 
it  is  covered.  It  is  nearly  as  long  as,  and  much  more  slender  than, 
C.  minuta.  Brown  figures  two  or  three  species,  which  closely  resem- 
ble this. 


TURBINACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  TURRITELLA.       267 

GENUS  TURRIT&LLA,  LAM. 

Shell  turreted,  elongated,  spirally  grooved,  pointed;  aperture 
entire,  rounded;  lips  disjoined  posteriorly ;  operculum  horny. 

TURRITE'LLA  EROSA. 

Shell  elongate-turreted ,  pale-brown,  composed  of  about  ten 
smooth,  flattish  whorls,  sloping  above  to  the  suture^  and  grooved 
with  from  three  to  five,  obtuse,  revolving  furroivs. 

State  Coll.,  No.  38.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2286. 

Turritella  erosa,  COUTHOUY  j  Bost.  Journ.  Jfat.  Hist.,  ii.  103,  pi.  3,  f.  1. 

Shell  elongated-conical,  turreted,  pale  horn-colored,  with  a 
light  reddish-brown  epidermis ;  whorls  about  ten,  flattish,  smooth, 
sloping  towards  the  suture,  so  that  each  whorl  seems  a  little  shelv- 
ing over  the  succeeding  one,  and  furrowed  with  from  three  to 
five  abrupt,  revolving  grooves,  nearly  as  wide  as  the  spaces  be- 
tween them.  From  five  on  the  largest  whorl,  the  number  goes 
on  diminishing  above  ;  the  whorls  at  the  apex  are  usually  broken 
off,  and  much  of  the  summit  is  a  good  deal  eroded.  Lines  of 
growth  are  quite  conspicuous  in  the  grooves,  but  scarcely  percep- 
tible elsewhere  ;  aperture  nearly  circular  ;  lip  sharp,  meeting  the 
prolonged  pillar,  so  as  to  produce  a  partial  angle  ;  operculum 
horny,  multi-spiral.  Length  •£  inch,  breadth  -f-0  inch. 

Found  in  the  stomachs  of  fishes  caught  in  Massachusetts  Bay. 
It  is  usually  found  either  incomplete,  or  much  defaced  and 
broken.  I  have  seen  but  one  specimen  containing  the  animal. 

It  is  quite  different  from  any  described  species,  unless  it  be  T.  Vir- 
ginidna  of  Lamarck.  His  description  is  not  sufficiently  definite  to 
identify  his  shell  with  ours,  and  the  character  "  basi  annulo  griseo-viola- 
cescente  notata,"  I  have  never  found  upon  it.  It  bears  a  distant  re- 
semblance to  the  old  Turbo  terebra  of  English  authors,  but  it  does  not 
slope  to  a  point  so  rapidly,  and  the  sculpture  seems  to  be  from  grooves, 
and  not  from  raised  lines,  as  in  T.  terebra. 


268   INVERTEBRATA   OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

TURRITE'LLA  INTERRU'PTA. 

Shell  small)  subulate,  brownish-white,  reticulated  with  numer- 
ous ribs  and  revolving  lines,  which  are  interrupted  by  the  ribs, 
and  three  faintly  colored  bands. 

FIGURE  173, 
State  Coll.,  No.  271.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2358. 

Turritella  interrupta,  TOTTEN;    Silliman's  Journ.,  xxviii.  352,    f.  7.     ADAMS; 
Post.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  ii.  275. 

Shell  small,  very  slender  and  pointed,  pale  brownish-white, 
glossy  ;  whorls  eight  or  ten,  slightly  convex,  the  suture  well  de- 
fined, on  which  are  from  twenty-five  to  thirty  straight,  blunt  ribs, 
crossed  by  about  fourteen  revolving  lines,  which  are  interrupted 
by  the  ribs  ;  these  lines  are  arranged  in  pairs,  but  so  close  to  each 
other,  as  not  always  to  be  distinguished,  and  would  usually  be  re- 
garded as  one  ;  on  the  anterior  half  of  the  lower  whorl,  the  ribs  van- 
ish, and  the  fine  revolving  lines  are  uninterrupted.  In  fresh  speci- 
mens may  be  seen  a  purplish  band  just  below  the  suture,  and  on 
the  anterior  whorl  two  faint-yellow  ones  ;  aperture  about  one 
sixth  the  length  of  the  shell,  ovate,  sharply  angular  behind  ;  outer 
lip  sharp  and  simple,  inner  lip  slightly  everted.  Length  \  inch, 
breadth  T\  inch,  divergence  12°. 

First  found  by  Colonel  Totten  in  the  harbour  of  Newport, 
Rhode  Island ;  and  since  found  by  Professor  C.  B.  Adams,  in 
Dartmouth  harbour,  by  dredging  beyond  low-water  mark.  He 
has  also  found  it  in  New  Bedford  harbour. 

It  is  readily  recognised  by  its  slender,  pointed,  glossy  appearance, 
and  its  reticulated  surface.  Several  recent  and  fossil  species  resem- 
ble it  in  size  and  shape,  among  which  are  Turbo  elegantissimus,  Mon- 
tagu ;  Turritella  cequalis,  Say,  and  T.  laquedta,  Conrad. 

This  species  does  not  belong  to  the  genus  TURRITE'LLA  ;  but  will 
probably  come  under  the  genus  EU^LIMA  of  Risso. 

GENUS  PYRAMIS,  BROWN. 

Shell  elongated,  of  numerous  whorls ;  aperture  short,  ovate,  en* 
tire  in  front ;  lip  sharp,  disunited  behind ;  pillar  without  a  fold. 


TURBINACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  %PYRAMIS.       269 

PY'RAMIS  STRIA'TTJLA. 

Shell  turreted,  dingy-white ;  whorls  eight,  nearly  flat,  with 
numerous  fine,  revolving  lines ;  tipper  whorls  tapering  rapidly ; 
suture  distinct. 

FIGURE  174. 
State  Coll.,  No.  53.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2360. 

Py'ramis  striatula,  GOUTHOUV  ;  Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  HisL,  ii.  101,  pi.  1,  f.  6. 

Shell  elevated,  obelisk-shaped,  thick,  bluish-white,  usually 
having  a  dead,  unpolished  appearance  ;  whorls  seven  to  nine, 
nearly  flat,  distinctly  separated  by  the  suture,  a  few  of  the  upper 
ones  tapering  rather  suddenly  to  an  acute  point,  thus  giving  it  an 
obelisk  shape  ;  marked  with  obvious  lines  of  growth,  sometimes 
approaching  to  varices,  and  with  from  twelve  to  fifteen  fine,  reg- 
ular revolving  lines,  diminishing  in  number  towards  the  apex  ; 
aperture  ovate,  acute-angular  behind  ;  outer  lip  sharp  and  simple, 
without  any  sinus  behind ;  slightly  turned  outwards  at  base,  as  it 
joins  the  regularly  arched  pillar  margin.  Length  -J|-  inch, 
breadth  /¥  inch,  divergence  23°. 

First  found  by  Mr.  Couthouy  in  the  stomachs  of  fishes  caught 
off  Cape  Ann.  Several  specimens  have  since  been  found,  but  it 
is  by  no  means  common. 

I  have  employed  the  genus  PY'RAMIS,  not  because  I  would  adopt  it, 
but  because  I  know  not  any  established  genus  under  which  this  shell 
would  come ;  and  do  not  wish  to  confuse,  if  I  cannot  correct.  The 
characters  of  the  aperture  are  like  those  of  the  preceding  species,  but 
the  exterior  has  a  different  character.  Its  aspect  is  precisely  that  of  a 
shell  sent  me  as  MONOTI'GMA,  Gray  ;  but  I  cannot  find  the  plait  on  the 
inner  lip,  from  whence  that  genus  derives  its  name. 

GENUS  ODOST6MIA,  FLEMING. 

Shell  conical,  elongated;  aperture  ovate ;  lips  disunited  posteri- 
orly, and  sometimes  produced  anteriorly ;  pillar  with  a  tooth-like 
fold ;  operculum  horny,  sub-spiral. 


270    INVERTEBRATA  OF   MASSACHUSETTS. 

ODOSTOMIA  PRODU'CTA. 

Shell  small,  conic-cylindrical;  whorls  eight,  nearly  flat ;  epi- 
dermis light-brown;  columella fleocuous. 

FIGURE  175. 

State  Coll.,  No.  28.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2372. 

Jaminia  producta,  ADAMS  ;  Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  iii.  pi.  3,  f.  8. 

Shell  small,  elongated,  conic-cylindrical,  very  slender,  com- 
posed of  eight  or  more  flattish  whorls,  separated  by  a  well-im- 
pressed suture  ;  tip  blunted,  as  if  one  or  more  whorls  were  re- 
moved ;  surface  faintly  marked  by  lines  of  growth,  and  covered 
with  a  dusky,  horn-colored  epidermis  ;  occasionally,  an  indistinct 
revolving  line  may  be  seen  on  two  or  three  of  the  lowest  whorls  ; 
aperture  about  one  fourth  the  length  of  the  shell,  ovate,  regularly 
rounded  in  front,  the  pillar  margin  modi6ed  by  the  rising  and  re- 
volving of  the  outer  lip  around  it,  so  as  to  produce  a  partial  fold. 
Umbilicus  none.  Operculum  thin,  horny,  spiral,  apex  at  one 
side.  Length  J  inch,  breadth  yT  inch,  divergence  12°. 

Found  by  Professor  Adams,  in  September,  1839,  near  high- 
water  mark,  in  a  cove  on  the  east  side  of  Fairhaven. 

It  is  distinguished  from  O.  exigua  by  the  same  characters  as 
O.fusca  is.  To  this  last  it  is  very  closely  allied;  and,  as  neither  of 
them  has  any  very  prominent  peculiarities,  it  may  not  be  possible  to 
make  apparent  in  words,  distinctions  which  are  quite  obvious  to  the 
eye.  This  is,  however,  a  much  more  slender  shell  than  O.fusca^  has 
one  or  more  additional  whorls,  a  much  lighter  colored  epidermis,  less 
convex  whorls,  and  no  approach  to  an  umbilicus.  While  the  two 
shells  are  about  equal  in  length,  the  lower  whorl  of  O.  producta  is  not 
more  than  two  thirds  as  large  as  that  of  O.  fusca ;  so  that  it  has  a 
very  much  more  slender  and  cylindrical  form ;  and  this  it  is,  which 
most  readily  strikes  the  eye  on  comparison. 

This  does  not  belong  to  the  genus  JAMI'NIA  of  Leach ;  and  Brown 
has  given  us  no  characters  for  the  genus,  as  he  employs  it. 

ODOSTOMIA  FUSCA. 

Shell  small)  elevated-conical,  rather  blunt  at  tip,  and  sub-umbil- 
icated ;  color  dark-brown  ;  aperture  broadly-ovate. 

FIGURE  176. 


TURBINACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  ODOSTOMIA.       271 

State  Coll.,  No.  29.  *  Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2373. 

Py'ramis  fusca,  ADAMS  ;  Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  ii.  282,  pi.  4,  f.  9. 
Jaminia  fusca,  ADAMS  ;  Ibid.,  Hi.  337. 

Shell  small,  thin,  elongated-conical,  rather  blunt,  or  worn  off 
at  apex,  a  smooth  and  glossy  violet-brown  epidermis  covering  it, 
through  which  the  lines  of  growth  are  perceptible  ;  whorls  six, 
probably  eight  when  the  tip  is  entire  ;  slightly  convex,  regularly 
tapering,  and  separated  by  a  well-defined  suture,  and  sometimes  by 
a  revolving  line  just  below  it,  so  that  the  suture  seems  double  ; 
aperture  ovate,  widened  at  the  middle  by  a  twist  of  the  pillar  lip, 
acutely  angular  behind  ;  simple  and  sharp,  widely  and  regularly 
rounded  in  front  ;  it  ascends  upon  the  columella,  and  forms  an  ob- 
lique, nearly  transverse  ridge,  as  it  revolves  within  the  aperture, 
and  so  deep  as  to  be  nearly  concealed  ;  space  between  this  fold 
and  the  posterior  angle  of  the  aperture  joined  by  a  thin  plate  of 
enamel ;  an  umbilical  indentation  about  the  middle  of  the  left  lip. 
Length  fa  inch,  breadth  T37  inch,  divergence  26°. 

This  shell  was  first  found  by  Professor  C.  B.  Adams,  at  New 
Bedford,  clinging  to  planks,  not  far  above  low-water  mark,  and 
from  him  I  received  my  specimens.  They  have  since  been  found 
at  Dartmouth  and  Tiverton. 

Compared  with  O.  exigua,  with  which  shell  it  is  most  likely  to  be 
confounded,  it  is  shorter  and  more  blunt-pointed ;  the  whorls  are 
more  flat,  and  the  lowest  in  exact  keeping  with  the  rest ;  the  color 
very  much  darker ;  the  aperture  is  ^broader  and  modified  by  the  twist 
of  the  left  margin,  without  any  prolongation  at  base.  The  turning  of 
the  lip  into  the  aperture  forms  a  fold,  which,  in  some  specimens,  is  not 
seen  without  looking  far  within  ;  in  others  it  is  quite  conspicuous,  and 
in  others  it  is  even  divided  by  a  furrow  into  two  folds.  The  figure  and 
description  in  the  "  Boston  Journal  of  Natural  History "  were  drawn 
from  specimens  much  smaller  and  less  perfect,  than  some  since 
found ;  so  that  they  are  both  imperfect.  The  spiral  ridge  or  fold  on 
the  columella  is  there  said  not  to  exist  at  all. 

These  two  last  shells  differ  in  some  characters  from  the  following, 
and  perhaps  belong  to  a  different  genus.  The  shell  is  thin  and  horny, 
the  aperture  regularly  rounded  in  front,  and  the  fold  on  the  pillar  in- 
conspicuous. In  the  true  ODOSTO'MIJE,  the  shells  are  of  a  solid,  ivory 
structure,  and  the  lip  somewhat  produced  in  front,  forming  the  con- 
necting link  with  CERI'THIUM  and  the  CANALI'FERA. 


272   INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 


ODOSTOMIA  EXI'GUA. 

Shell  small,  ovate-conical,  smooth,  whitish;  with  a  single  re- 
volving line  below  the  suture  ;  aperture  oval;  sub-umbilicated. 

FIGURE   177. 
State  Coll.,  No.  27.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2371. 

Jam  mi  a  exigua,  COUTHOUY;   Bost.  Journ,  Nat.  Hist.,  ii.  92,  pi.  2,  f.  7. 
Rissoa  rupestris,  FORBES  ;  Ann.  of  Nat.  Hist.,  ii.  107,  pL  2,  f.  13. 
Turritella  bisuturalis  ?  SAY  ;  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.y  ii.  244. 

Shell  small,  ovate-conical,  somewhat  turreted,  rather  obtuse  at 
apex,  surface  smooth,  light-green,  under  a  brownish  epidermis, 
lines  of  growth  scarcely  perceptible ;  whorls  five  or  six,  separated 
by  a  well-defined  suture  ;  and,  in  most  specimens,  a  distinct  line 
revolves  just  before  the  suture,  giving  the  appearance  of  a  double 
suture  ;  the  lowest  whorl  is  proportionally  larger  than  the  others, 
and  constitutes  about  half  the  length  of  the  shell ;  aperture  oval, 
outer  lip  sharp  and  simple  ;  pillar  lip  bluish-white,  smooth  and 
rounded  ;  a  transverse,  white  fold  is  formed  by  the  turning  of  the 
lip  within  the  shell,  before  which  it  is  a  little  raised  and  turned 
outwards,  producing  an  umbilical  chink,  and  is  extended  so  as  to 
form  a  considerable  projecting  angle  at  the  lower  extremity  ; 
operculum  horny.  Length  -J-  inch,  breadth  T\j-  inch,  divergence 
28°. 

First  found  by  Mr.  Couthouy,  at  Chelsea,  near  the  ferry  land- 
ing, adhering  to  decaying  wood.  It  has  since  been  found  in  vari- 
ous similar  situations,  and  under  the  damp  portions  of  loose 
stones  left  on  the  shore  at  low  tide. 

It  is  distinguished  from  O.  trifidus,  with  which  it  would  be  confound- 
ed without  intimate  examination,  by  its  being  a  less  slender  and 
pointed  shell,  the  disproportion  of  the  last  whorl,  and  the  greater  con- 
vexity of  all  the  whorls,  and  the  want  of  two  or  three  revolving  lines 
so  characteristic  of  O.  trifidus.  In  the  latter  shell,  the  fold  of  the  colu- 
mella  is  oblique,  and  in  O.  exigua  it  is  nearly  transverse.  It  will  also 
be  necessary  to  compare  it  with  the  next  species.  I  should  be  dispos- 
ed to  regard  it  as  the  same  with  Turbo  unidentatus,  Montagu,  ( Test. 
Brit.  324) ;  but  as  it  is  impossible  to  decide  on  such  minute  species, 


TURBINACEA.  MOLLUSCA.  ODOSTOMIA.         273 

with  no  obvious  characteristics,  from  description  only,  I  must  leave  it 
unsettled. 

It  is  almost  certainly  the  Turritella  bisuturdlis  of  Say ;  at  least,  I 
know  of  no  other  shell  which  will  at  all  answer  to  his  description. 
The  figure  and  description  of  Rissoa  rupestris,  Forbes,  also  cor- 
respond with  it. 

ODOSTOMIA  SEMINU'DA. 

Shell  acute-conic,  white,  with  coarse  revolving  lines,  crossed  on 
the  upper  whorls,  and  on  the  upper  half  of  the  lower  whorl,  by  lon- 
gitudinal lines. 

FIGURE  178. 
State  Coll.,  No.  30.     Soc.  Cab.,  No/2418. 

Jaminia  seminuda,  ADAMS  ;  Bost.  Journ.  JYcrt.  Hist.,  ii.  280,  pi.  4,  f.  13. 

Shell  acute-conic,  glossy  white,  translucent  ;  whorls  six  or 
seven,  convex,  the  upper  ones  and  one  half  the  lower  whorl  with 
numerous  ridges  or  folds,  crossed  by  three,  equidistant  revolving 
lines,  giving  the  surface  a  granulated  appearance  ;  at  the  base  of 
the  lower  whorl  are  four  more  revolving  lines,  beginning  on  the 
middle  where  the  folds  terminate  abruptly  ;  suture  distinct,  divid- 
ed by  an  indistinct  spiral  ridge  ;  aperture  oval,  one  third  the 
length  of  the  shell ;  the  outer  lip  very  thin,  and  scolloped  by  the 
revolving  lines  ;  the  base  is  prolonged  into  a  concave  angle,  and, 
rising,  revolves  within  the  shell,  forming  a  single  inconspicuous 
fold  on  the  pillar.  Length  TyT  inch,  breadth  yj^  inch,  divergence 
30°. 

First  found  by  Professor  Adams,  at  Dartmouth,  on  valves  of 
Pecten  concentricus,  taken  up  beyond  low-water  mark. 

This  shell  is  readily  distinguished  from  all  others  found  in  our 
waters  of  a  similar  size  and  outline,  by  the  sculpture  of  the  lower 
whorl,  the  upper  half  of  which  is  granulated  by  the  decussating  lines, 
and  the  lower  half  marked  by  revolving  lines  only.  It  is  smaller,  and 
less  elevated  proportionally  than  O.  trifidus.  Making  allowance  for 
variations  in  magnifying  two  shells  so  small,  this  seems  not  to  differ 
much  from  Turbo  spirdlis  of  Montagu,  (Test.  Brit.  323,  pi.  12,  f.  9). 
He  neither  represents  nor  describes  any  revolving  lines  crossing  the 
folds.  These  he  may  have  overlooked  ;  for  Fleming  distinctly  men- 
tions them. 

35 


274    INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

ODOSTOMIA  TRI'FIDA. 

Shell  small,  acute-conic,  glossy  white,  with  numerous  impressed 
revolving  lines,  of  which  the  two  uppermost,  and  those  about  the 
base  of  the  last  ivhorl  are  most  distinct  •  aperture  narrow. 

FIGURE  179. 
State  Coll.,  No.  26.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2370. 

Actoe'on  trifidus,  TOTTEN  ;  Sillimaris  Journ.,  xxvi.  368,  pi.  1,  f.  4,  a,  b. 

Shell  elevated,  pointed,  smooth  and  glossy,  of  an  ivory-white 
color  ;  whorls  about  eight,  flat,  separated  by  a  sharp,  slightly  de- 
pressed suture,  on  which  are  from  three  to  five  revolving  lines,  of 
which  the  two  next  below,  and  the  one  immediately  above,  the  su- 
ture are  most  deeply  sculptured  ;  about  the  front  of  the  lower 
whorl  are  usually  ten  or  twelve  very  fine  lines  also  ;  aperture  nar- 
row, about  one  third  the  length  of  the  shell,  acutely  angular 
above  ;  outer  lip  sharp  and  thin,  sometimes  showing  within,  and 
on  its  sharp  edge,  the  impressed  lines  ;  the  inner  margin  regularly 
curved  ;  the  pillar,  widening  and  expanding  a  little,  is  produced  so 
that  an  acute  angle  is  formed  by  the  junction  of  the  two  lips  in 
front  ;  about  the  middle  of  the  inner  margin  is  a  single,  sharp,  ob- 
lique fold,  formed  by  the  revolution  of  the  outer  lip  within  the 
shell  ;  operculum  horny  ;  apex  nearly  terminal,  sub-spiral.  Length 
i  inch,  breadth  -*$  inch,  divergence  23°. 

First  found  by  Colonel  Totten  on  the  shores  of  Rhode  Island, 
adhering  to  Pecten  concentricus.  Since  then  it  has  been  found  by 
Professor  Adams  among  sand  from  New  Bedford  harbour. 


FAMILY  CANJILIFERA,  LAM. 

Shell  with  a  canal,  more  or  less  extended,  in  front  of  the  aperture;  the  outer 
Up  of  which  does  not  alter  its  form  by  age. 

GENUS  CERITHIUM,  LIN. 

Shell  elongated,  turreted  ;  aperture  short,  oblong,  oblique,  termi- 
nating in  front  by  a  short,  recurved  canal. 


CANALIFERA.  MOLLUSCA.         CERITHIUM.       275 

CERITHIUM   EMERSONII. 

Shell  long-conical,  chestnut- colored  ;  whorls  seventeen,  flat,  each 
encircled  with  three  series  of  granules ;  canal  less  than  half  the 
length  of  the  aperture. 

FIGURE  180. 
State  Coll.,  No.  276.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2361. 

Cerithium  Emersonii,  ADAMS  ;  Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  ii.  284,  pi.  4,  f.  10. 

Shell  small,  conical,  elongated,  glossy,  reddish-brown,  with  a 
regularly  granulated  surface  ;  whorls  sixteen  or  seventeen,  flat- 
tened, with  a  revolving  series  of  bead-like  granules  at  the  upper 
and  lower  margins  of  each,  and  another  intervening  one,  but 
nearer  to  the  upper  than  to  the  lower  series,  and  less  prominent, 
commencing  at  ten  or  twelve  whorls  from  the  summit,  and  be- 
coming more  distinct  as  it  approaches  the  base  ;  in  each  series 
the  granules  are  connected  by  a  rather  narrow,  but  elevated  re-- 
volving  line,  nearly  as  high  as  the  granules  ;  they  are  also  con- 
nected in  a  similar  manner  in  a  longitudinal  direction  ;  posterior 
edge  of  the  whorls  margined  by  a  sharp  ridge,  of  a  darker  color  ; 
suture  profoundly  impressed  ;  the  ridge  terminates  abruptly  before, 
in  a  very  short,  twisted,  wrinkled  beak  ;  aperture  small,  about 
one  sixth  the  length  of  the  shell ;  outer  lip  scolloped  when  per- 
fect. Length  |  inch,  breadth  |  inch,  divergence  22°. 

Obtained  by  Professor  C.  B.  Adams,  at  Nantucket  and  in  New 
Bedford  harbour,  by  whom  it  was  described  and  named  in  honor 
of  G.  B.  Emerson,  Esq.,  President  of  the  Boston  Society  of 
Natural  History. 

This  prettily  sculptured  shell  is  distinguished  by  its  short  aperture 
and  beak,  its  broad  base,  from  which  the  flattened  whorls  regularly 
taper  to  an  acute  apex  ;  and  by  the  pretty  strings  of  bead-like  gran- 
ules encircling  it.  These  beads  are  sometimes  so  worn  down  as  to 
present  the  appearance  of  a  continuous  line  dilating  at  regular  in- 
tervals. 

This  shell  is  unequivocally  pronounced  by  Mr.  Sowerby  to  be  the 
Murex  tubercularis  of  Montagu.  But,  after  a  careful  examination  of 
all  the  descriptions  of  that  shell,  I  am  led  to  conclude,  either  that  I 


276    INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

sent  Mr.  Sowerby  a  poor  representation  of  our  shell,  or  that  he  would 
decide  differently  on  a  second,  more  careful  inspection.  No  author 
ascribes  to  M.  tubercularis  more  than  eight  or  ten  volutions,  and  one 
fourth  of  an  inch  for  its  length  ;  while  ours  has  commonly  twice  that 
length,  with  sixteen  or  eighteen  volutions.  Montagu  says,  in  his  Sup- 
plement, "  It  has  as  an  invariable  character,  three  series  of  tubercles 
of  equal  size,  on  each  volution."  But  at  the  ordinary  length  of  M. 
tubercularis,  our  shell  has  but  two  series  of  granules  ;  and  when  the 
third  appears,  it  is  very  perceptibly  smaller  than  the  other  two  series. 
On  account  of  so  decided  a  variation  in  size  and  sculpture,  I  think  it 
proper  still  to  regard  our  shell  as  a  distinct  species,  trusting  to  future 
observations  to  settle  the  point  definitely. 

CERI'THIUM  TEREBRALE. 

Shell  conic-turreted ;  whorls  ten,  flattened,  having  three  sharp, 
elevated,  revolving  ridges  on  each,  with  numerous  fine,  longitudinal 
lines  between  the  ridges  ;  canal  very  short. 

FIGURE  181. 
State  Coll.,  No.  280.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2364. 

Cerithium  terebrale,  ADAMS  j  Bost.  Journ.  JVa*.  Ufa*.,  iii.  pi.  3,  f.  7. 

Shell  small,  elongated-conic,  composed  of  ten  or  twelve  flatten- 
ed whorls,  separated  by  a  slightly  excavated  sutural  region  ;  color 
reddish-brown,  with  occasionally  a  whitish  revolving  band  at  the 
lower  part  of  each  whorl.  On  each  whorl  are  three  elevated, 
compressed,  revolving  ridges,  at  about  equal  distances  from  each 
other,  and  perhaps  we  may  reckon  a  fourth,  very  small  and  bor- 
dering on  the  suture.  The  spaces  between  the  ridges  are  regu- 
larly rounded  out,  and  checked  with  crowded,  minute,  longitudinal 
lines,  none  of  which  cross  the  summits  of  the  ridges.  On  the 
lower  whorl  are  two  additional  ridges.  The  base  of  the  shell  is 
abrupt ;  the  canal  very  short  and  small ;  the  aperture  oval,  about 
one  eighth  the  length  of  the  shell.  Length  J  inch,  breadth 
•{•  inch,  divergence  20°. 

Found  by  Mr.  C.  F.  Shiverick,  at  New  Bedford  and  in  its 
vicinity,  below  low-water  mark. 


CANALIPERA.  MOLLUSCA.  CERITHIUM.  277 

This  species  is  closely  allied 'to  C.  Emersdnii.  Its  size  and  pro- 
portions are  the  same  ;  but  it  can  scarcely  be  regarded  as  a  variety. 
It  is  at  once  known  by  the  prominent  ridges,  which  resemble  the 
threads  of  a  screw.  There  is  nothing  like  the  nodulous  surface  of 
C.  Emersonii,  and  the  minute  barring  between  the  ridges  is  a  striking 
arrangement,  to  which  there  is  no  approach  in  that  shell. 

CERfTHIUM    NIGROCl'NCTUM. 

Shell  small,  reddish-black,  granulated  ;  whorls  twelve,  reversed ; 

aperture  small ;  beak  short  and  recurved. 

\ 
FIGURE  182. 

State  Coll.,  No.  279.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2363. 

Cerithium  nigrocinctum,  ADAMS  ;  Host.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  ii.  286,  pi.  4,  f.  11. 

Shell  small,  conico-cylindrical,  blackish-red,  with  three  revolv- 
ing series  of  rounded,  bead-like  granules,  formed  by  numerous 
ribs  or  folds,  which  are  cut  by  two  deep,  revolving  lines  into 
equal  parts  ;  the  middle  series  is  wanting  on  the  posterior  fifth  of 
the  shell,  and  the  upper  series  is  smaller  than  the  lower,  at  last 
disappearing  also  ;  whorls  twelve  or  more,  reversed,  convex, 
forming  an  elongated,  acutely  pointed  spire,  somewhat  swelling  in 
its  outline  ;  suture  broad,  divided  by  a  somewhat  granular,  black 
ridge,  which,  in  the  progress  of  growth,  changes  its  place,  and 
forms  the  lower  edge  of  the  last  whorls  ;  this  ridge  retains  its 
color  when  the  rest  of  the  shell  fades,  and  then  becomes  a  con- 
spicuous belt  ;  an  impressed  line  each  side  of  the  sutural  ridge, 
and  two  others  emerging  from  the  aperture,  revolve  about  the  base 
of  the  anterior  whorl ;  aperture  oval,  about  one  fifth  the  length  of 
the  shell,  ending  in  a  twisted  canal  about  one  third  as  long  as  the 
aperture  ;  outer  lip  sharp,  notched  by  the  revolving  lines  ;  inner 
lip  deeply  arched,  the  pillar  twisted,  black  and  projecting. 
Length  -^  inch,  breadth  •/•$  inch,  divergence  23°. 

Found  by  Professor  Adams,  in  Dartmouth  harbour,  clinging  to 
sea-weed,  a  few  feet  below  low-water  mark. 

It  is  at  once  distinguished  by  its  black  color,  slightly  tinged  red,  and 
its  reversed  whorls.  It  is  closely  allied  to  the  Murex  advtrsus,  Mon- 


278  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

tagu,  but  is  probably  different,  as  that  shell  has  the  middle  series 
smaller,  and  the  canal  straight.     It  is  also  of  a  lighter  color. 

The  whole  shell,  when  fresh,  is  of  a  uniform  color,  so  that  the  dark 
revolving  line  at  the  suture  is  scarcely  distinguishable,  instead  of 
something  evident,  as  we  should  expect  from  the  name.  The  specific 
appellation,  on  this  account,  is  not  well  chosen.  In  some  lighter- 
colored  individuals,  however,  the  zone  is  very  apparent. 

CERITHIUM  SAYI. 

Shell  small,  ashy  or  slate-color  ed,  covered  with  a  fine  net-work 
of  elevated  lines ;  aperture  rounded ;  canal  merely  an  oblique 
fissure. 

FIGURE  183. 
State  Coll.,  No.  278.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  713. 

Cerithium  reticulatum,  TOTTEN  ;  Silliman's  Journ.,  xxviii.  352,  fig.  8. 
Pasithea  nigra,  TOTTEN  ;  (the  young ;)  Silliman's  Journ.,  xxvi.  369,  pi.  1,  f.  7. 
Cerithium  Sayi,  MENKE. 

Shell  small,  elongated-conical,  somewhat  turreted,  the  upper 
whorls  of  a  blue-black  or  slate-color,  and  two  or  three  of  the 
lower  ones  usually  much  lighter,  white,  or  ashy  gray  ;  whorls  six 
or  eight,  forming  an  elevated,  conical  spire  ;  surface  covered  with 
a  granular  net-work  from  the  crossing  of  slightly  elevated,  rounded 
folds  or  ribs,  and  elevated  spiral  lines  ;  of  the  ribs  there  are  about 
twenty,  which  vanish  on  the  lower  half  of  the  anterior  whorl ;  of 
the  spiral  lines  there  are  about  six  on  the  lower  whorl  but  one, 
five  on  the  next  above,  and  so  on ;  besides  these,  on  the  anterior 
whorl  are  about  six  raised  revolving  lines  about  the  base,  par- 
tially granulated  ;  suture  distinct,  with  the  series  of  granules  next 
below  it  rather  largest,  so  as  to  form  a  slight  shoulder  ;  aperture 
oblique,  rounded,  and  flaring,  about  one  quarter  the  length  of  the 
shell,  broad  anteriorly  ;  outer  lip  sharp,  modified  by  the  revolving 
lines  ;  inner  margin  angular-concave,  with  a  plate  of  enamel, 
not  pressed  close  upon  the  body  whorl,  uniting  the  two  lips 
above,  and  forming  an  umbilical  fissure  below  ;  canal  a  mere  ob- 
lique fissure  or  notch,  not  prolonged  forward  so  far  as  the  lip  ; 
operculum  horny,  ovate  ;  apex  at  the  centre  of  the  broader  part, 
concave  outwardly,  with  four  or  five  spiral  turns.  Length  -fa  inch, 
breadth  T!T  inch,  divergence  28°. 


CANALIFERA.  MOLLUSCA.  CERITHIUM.  279 

Found  very  abundantly  at  Nantucket,  Martha's  Vineyard,  New 
Bedford,  &c.  It  has  not  been  found  to  my  knowledge  within,  or 
to  the  north  of,  Cape  Cod.  Its  proper  station  is  on  sea-weed, 
stones,  and  marine  bodies,  about  low-water  mark.  The  young  are 
sometimes  seen  in  such  numbers  as  to  conceal  the  sand  beneath 
them.  These  are  always  reddish-black,  with  a  very  different 
aperture.  It  seems  not  to  attain  its  growth  the  first  season,  and 
the  second  year's  growth  is  usually  distinctly  indicated  by  its 
much  lighter  color. 

The  name  given  by  Colonel  Totten,  at  my  suggestion,  is  pre- 
occupied by  an  English  species.  Its  wide  expanded  mouth,  with 
scarcely  any  thing  like  a  canal,  renders  its  claim  to  a  place  in  the 
genus  CERI'THIUM  rather  equivocal.  These  characters,  with  its  sculp- 
ture, distinguish  the  species. 

CERI'THIUM  GRE'ENII. 

Shell  small,  reddish-black,  tumido-conic,  elongated,  with  longi- 
tudinal ridges  and  revolving  lines ;  canal  very  deep  and  very  short, 
slightly  curved. 

FIGURE   184. 

State  Coll.,  No.  277.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2362. 

Cerithium  Greenii,  ADAMS  ;    Bost.  Journ.  JVaf.  Hist.,  ii.  287,  pi.  4,  f.  12. 

Shell  small,  elevated-conic,  sloping  somewhat  abruptly  above 
the  middle,  to  a  prolonged,  pointed  apex  ;  whorls  ten  or  twelve, 
flattened,  traversed  by  numerous  folds  or  ridges,  of  which  there 
are  from  twenty  to  twenty-five  on  the  lower  whorl,  crossed  by  three 
revolving  impressed  lines,  producing  three  series  of  granules,  of 
which  the  lower  one  is  largest,  so  that  the  base  of  each  whorl 
seems  to  jut  over  the  one  below  it  ;  the  upper  series  is  nearer  to 
the  middle  one  than  that  is  to  the  lower  one,  and  soon  disappears 
on  the  upper  whorls  ;  then  the  middle  one  vanishes,  and  finally  the 
lower  one,  so  that  the  whorls  at  the  apex  are  either  smooth  or 
merely  wrinkled  ;  two  black  threads,  emerging  from  the  aperture, 
revolve  around  the  base  of  the  shell  ;  suture  distinctly  marked  ; 
aperture  about  one  eighth  the  length  of  the  shell,  nearly  circular, 
terminating  in  a  deep,  very  short  canal,  partly  closed  over  by  the 


280  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

lips  ;  outer  lip  sharp,  notched,  and  a  little  everted  ;  pillar  twisted, 
regularly  arched  above.  Length  J  inch,  breadth  -£v  inch,  di- 
vergence 35°. 

Found  by  Professor  Adams  in  Dartmouth  harbour,  clinging  to 
marine  plants,  a  few  feet  below  low  water,  with  other  species. 

This  little  shell  would  hardly  be  distinguished  when  mixed  with  the 
young  of  C.  Sayi.  Its  color  is  the  same,  and  it  is  not  unlike  it  in 
marking.  From  the  full-grown  shell  it  is  readily  distinguished  by  its 
bulging  shape,  the  apparent  jutting  of  one  whorl  over  another,  its 
smaller  size,  and  by  its  deeply  notched  canal. 

GENUS   PLEUROTOMA,  LAM. 

Shell  turrettd,  generally  ribbed;  aperture  terminating  in  a 
straight,  more  or  less  elongated  canal ;  outer  lip,  at  its  posterior 
junction,  having  a  fissure  or  notch. 

PLEUROTOMA   DECUSSATA. 

Shell  oval,  ashy  or  flesh-colored,  with  twenty-five  minute  folds, 
and  close  revolving  lines  ;  notch  of  the  outer  lip  shallow. 

FIGURE  185. 
State  Coll.,  No.  272.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2364. 

Pleurotoma  decussata,  COUTHOUY  ;  Bost.  Journ.  JVaf.  Hist.,  ii.  183,  pi.  4,  f.  8. 

Shell  small,  ovate,  of  an  ashy-white,  or  flesh-color,  covered 
with  remnants  of  an  olive-colored  epidermis  ;  whorls  five  or  six, 
convex,  the  lowest  being  two  thirds  the  length  of  the  shell,  cover- 
ed with  twenty-five  to  thirty  inconspicuous  folds  or  ribs,  undulated 
and  oblique  in  conformity  to  the  outer  lip,  and  vanishing  on  the 
convexity  of  the  whorl  ;  lines  of  growth  regular  and  distinct,  and 
these,  with  numerous,  *  elevated  revolving  threads,  make  a  fine 
net- work  over  the  whole  shell  ;  spire  regularly  sloping  to  an 
acute  point  ;  suture  well  marked,  with  a  slight  shoulder  near  it  on 
the  whorls  ;  aperture  half  as  long  as  the  shell,  narrow-oval, 
terminating  in  a  broad  and  very  brief  channel  ;  outer  lip  sharp, 
with  a  shallow  recess  or  notch,  as  it  joins  the  whorl ;  pillar  arched, 
flattened,  and  smooth  ;  operculum  pear-shaped,  with  the  apex 


CANALIPERA.  MOLLUSCA.  PLEUROTOMA.       281 

below,  and  the  elements  concentric.     Length  A  inch,  breadth  £o 
inch,  divergence  48°. 

Found  in  the  stomachs  of  fishes,  not  unfrequently. 

This  is  not  liable  to  be  confounded  with  any  shell  of  our  coast,  ex- 
cept Fusus  harpuldritiSjto  which  it  has  a  miniature  resemblance.  But, 
besides  being  so  much  smaller,  it  is  distinguished  by  the  notch  at  the 
posterior  angle  of  the  aperture,  and  by  the  net-work  formed  by  the 
more  numerous  and  fainter  folds,  and  revolving  lines.  The  color, 
which  Mr.  Couthouy  makes  a  distinctive  mark,  is  very  nearly  the 
same.  His  specimens  were  less  perfect  and  white.  In  my  freshest 
specimen  there  is  a  broad,  lighter-colored  band  near  the  top  of  the 
lower  whorl.  Pleurotoma  reticulata,  Brown,  ("  Conchology  of  Great 
Britain,"  &c.,  pi.  48,  f.  29,  30,)  may,  perhaps,  be  intended  to  repre- 
sent the  same. 

PLEUROTOMA  BICARINATA. 

Shell  ovate-fusiform,  turreted,  dusky-white ;  whorls  convex, 
with  two  revolving  ribs,  and  other  less  conspicuous  lines  and 
grooves  ;  notch  of  the  lip  shallow. 

FIGURE  186. 
State  Coll.,  No.  273.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2365. 

Pleurotoma  bicarinata,  COUTHOUY;  Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  ii.  104,  pi.  l,f.  11. 

Shell  small,  tapering  at  both  ends,  turreted,  of  a  dusky-white  or 
slate-color  ;  whorls  six,  convex,  the  lowest  being  half  the  length  of 
the  shell,  and  marked  with  numerous,  slightly  elevated,  revolving 
lines,  and  smaller  intervening  ones  ;  about  the  middle  is  a  deep 
groove,  on  each  side  of  which  is  a  prominent  revolving  ridge  or 
keel,  continued  upon  the  upper  whorls  ;  lines  of  growth  very  mi- 
nute ;  aperture  elliptical,  narrow,  ending  in  a  very  short  canal, 
inclining  a  little  to  the  left ;  outer  lip  sharp,  toothed  by  the  re- 
volving ribs,  with  a  slight  recess  or  notch  at  its  posterior  junction  ; 
pillar  lip  arched  posteriorly.  Length  T^  inch,  breadth  &  inch, 
divergence  48°. 

First  found  by  Mr.  Couthouy  in  a  fish  caught  off  Nahant ;  since 
this  single  specimen,  three  or  four  others  have  been  found  by  Dr. 
Prescott,  of  Lynn,  and  Mr.  W.  W.  Wheildon,  of  Charlestown. 
36 


282   INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

This  is  not  likely  to  be  confounded  with  any  other  of  our  shells. 
Its  two  revolving  ridges  mark  it  well.  It  is  interesting  as  being  the 
first  species  of  the  genus  found  in  our  northern  Atlantic  waters. 
Neither  of  our  three  species  belongs,  unequivocally,  to  this  genus  ; 
they  approach  very  near  to  Fusus.  Still,  the  direction  of  the  lines  of 
growth  indicates  the  sinus  in  the  lip  to  be  constant ;  and  on  this  rests 
their  claim  to  a  place  in  the  genus  PLEUROTOMA. 

PLEUROTOMA  PLICA  TA. 

Shell  small,  cinereous,  ovate  ;  whorls  six,  reticulated  with  prom- 
inent, longitudinal  ribs,  and  elevated,  revolving  lines  ;  sinus  of  the 
lip  distinct. 

FIGURE  187. 
State  Coll.,  No.  274.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2366. 

Pleurotoma  plicata,  ADAMS  ;  Bost.  Jovrn.  Nat.  Hist.,  iii.  pi.  3,  f.  6. 

Shell  small,  elongated-ovate,  somewhat  turreted,  of  an  ashy- 
white  color  ;  whorls  six,  the  lowest  one  about  two  thirds  the 
length  of  the  whole  shell,  and  bearing  about  twelve  prominent, 
somewhat  oblique,  rib-like  folds,  which  are  crossed  by  ten  or 
more  elevated,  revolving  threads,  rendering  the  ribs  a  little  nodu- 
lous ;  the  other  whorls  form  a  very  pointed,  somewhat  turreted 
spire,  on  which  the  ribs  and  revolving  lines  are  continued.  Aper- 
ture narrow,  less  than  half  the  length  of  the  shell  ;  outer  lip 
greatly  thickened  by  one  of  the  ribs,  the  notch  at  its  posterior 
part  being  deep,  distinct,  and  smooth.  Length  J  inch,  nearly, 
breadth  ¥5T  inch,  divergence  45°. 

Found  in  mud  from  New  Bedford  harbour,  by  Professor  C.  B. 
Adams. 

This  species  is  of  about  the  same  size  and  shape  as  P.  decussata,  but 
is  distinguished  by  the  much  more  conspicuous  folds,  which  run  the 
entire  length  of  the  whorl ;  and  the  revolving  lines  also  are  much 
more  distinct,  and  fewer  in  number.  The  canal  is  very  short. 


GENUS   CANCELLARIA,  LAM. 

Shell  ovate,  turreted,  cancellated  ;  canal  partial,  very  short  or 
wanting  ;  pillar  plaited,  the  folds  nearly  transverse. 


CANALIFERA.  MOLLUSCA.        CANCELLARIA.         283 

CANCELLA'RIA  COUTHOUYI. 

Shell  ovate-conic,  white,  reticulated  with  coarse  revolving  lines, 
and  lines  of  growth  ;  three  folds  upon  the  pillar. 

FIGURE  190. 
State  Coll.,  No.  25.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2368. 

Cancellaria  buccinoides,  COUTH OUY  ;  Bost  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  ii.  105,  pi.  3,  f.  3. 
Cancellaria  Couthouyi,  JAY  ;  Catal.  of  his  Cabinet,  1839. 

Shell  ovate-conical,  somewhat  turreted,  milky-white,  approach- 
ing to  horn-color  ;  whorls  five  or  six,  convex,  flattened  at  the  top  ; 
suture  well  defined,  and  sometimes  profound  ;  apex  acute,  the  an- 
terior whorl  composing  two  thirds  the  length  of  the  shell ;  surface 
marked  with  distinct  lines  of  growth,  and  sometimes  rising  into 
folds  near  the  suture  ;  coarse  revolving  lines  surround  it,  which, 
with  the  folds,  form  a  net-work  ;  aperture  half  the  length  of  the 
shell,  oval ;  outer  lip  sharp,  slightly  crenulated  by  the  revolving 
lines  ;  inner  lip  arched  with  three  inconspicuous,  oblique  folds,  of 
which  the  middle  one  is  largest ;  a  thin  coating  of  enamel  spreads 
upon  the  anterior  whorl  in  mature  specimens  ;  base  sub-channelled. 
Length  ^  inch,  breadth  ^  inch,  divergence  58°. 

Found  in  fishes  taken  in  various  parts  of  Massachusetts  Bay, 
and  usually  occupied  by  a  hermit  crab.  It  is  somewhat  abundant. 

It  was  first  described  by  Mr.  Couthouy  under  the  name  of  C.  bucci- 
noides, a  name  previously  given  to  a  species  from  the  Pacific  by  Mr. 
Sowerby ;  on  which  account,  Dr.  Jay  has  since  applied  to  it  the  name 
of  its  first  describer,  —  a  merited  compliment,  but  in  conformity  to 
what  seems  to  me  a  very  bad  custom.  It  is  not  at  first  obvious  to  what 
genus  this  shell  belongs  ;  Mr.  Sowerby  coincides  in  the  opinion  that 
it  is  correctly  referred  to  CANCELLARIA.  He  states, moreover,  that  he 
has  for  several  years  possessed  it,  brought  from  the  Arctic  seas. 
Hence,  it  is  probably  more  abundant  to  the  north  of  us.  It  varies 
considerably  in  its  external  appearance,  from  the  greater  or  less  prom- 
inence of  the  folds  and  striae.  A  specimen  belonging  to  Dr.  Prescott, 
of  Lynn,  measures  ^  inch  in  length,  and  -^  inch  in  breadth.  It 
somewhat  resembles  C.  austrdlis,  Sowerby.  This  is  the  only  species 
of  the  genus  found  in  the  northern  Atlantic,  so  far  as  I  am  awaie. 


284    INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 


GENUS   FUSUS,  LAM. 

Shell  elongated,  tapering  to  both  ends,  without  varices  ;  aperture 
terminating  in  a  straight  or  slightly  curved  canal ;  operculum 
horny,  pear-shaped,  with  the  nucleus  at  the  small  end. 

FUSUS     ISLANDICUS. 

Shell  elongated,  bluish-white,  covered  with  a  horn-colored  epider- 
mis ;  whorls  eight,  marked  with  equidistant,  revolving  lines ;  aper- 
ture as  long  as  the  spire. 

State  Coll.,  No.  17.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  315. 

Murex  corneus,  PENNANT  ;  Brit.  Zool,  iv.  124,  t.  76,  f.  99.     MONTAGU  ;  Test. 

Brit.,  258.     DONOVAN  ;    Brit.  Shells,  ii.  pi.  38.     TURTON  ;   Conch.  Diet.,  89. 

DILLWYN  ;  Catal,  ii.  733.    WOOD  ;  Index,  pi.  27,  f.  107. 
Murex  Islandicus,  GMELIN  ;   Syst.,  3555. 
Fusus  Islandicus,  MARTINI  ;  Conch.,  iv.  159,  t.  141,  f.  1312,  1313.    LAM.;  An. 

sans  Vert.,  vii.  126.     BRUG.  ;  Encyc.  Mtth.,  pi.  429,  f.  2.    KIENER;  Species, 

(Fusus)  pi.  7,  f.  2. 
Fusus  corneus,  SAY  ;  Atntr.  Conch.,  pi.  29.    FLEMING  ;  Brit.  Jlnim.,  348.    BROWN  ; 

Conch,  of  Great  Brit.,  fyc.,  pi.  47,  f.  7,  9.     Encyc.  Brit.,\i.  448. 
Buccinum  gracile,  DA  COSTA  ;  Brit.  Conch.,  124,  t.  6,  f.  5. 
Buccinum  anguslius,  LISTER  ;  Conch.,  t.  913,  f.  5. 

Shell  ovate,  elongated,  bluish-white,  ponderous,  semi-transpar- 
ent, covered  with  a  horn-colored,  somewhat  velvety  epidermis  ; 
whorls  eight  or  nine,  moderately  convex,  somewhat  compressed 
before  the  suture,  the  anterior  whorl  equalling  two  thirds  the 
length  of  the  shell ;  the  whorls  covered  with  equidistant,  sub-equal, 
raised  revolving  lines,  quite  apparent  through  the  epidermis  ;  lines 
of  growth  faint ;  suture  distinct,  somewhat  channelled.  Aperture 
oblong  oval,  half  as  long  as  the  shell,  polished,  porcelain-white 
within  ;  outer  lip  sharp,  and  minutely  crenulated  by  the  revolving 
lines  ;  pillar  smooth,  and  overspread  with  enamel ;  canal  moder- 
ately produced,  and  gently  curved  backwards.  Length  2J  inches, 
breadth  1TV  inch,  divergence  45°. 

Var.  pygmazus.  Figure  199.  Shell  not  exceeding  four  fifths 
of  an  inch  in  length,  whorls  six,  and  preserving  the  proportions  of 
the  type. 

A  deep-water  shell.  Very  large  specimens,  much  worn,  are 
occasionally  found  upon  Chelsea  and  Phillips 's  beaches  ;  along 


CANALIFERA.   ?f  MOLLUSC  A.  FUSUS.  285 

the  coast  of  Maine,  and  farther  eastward,  they  are  not  infrequent. 
The  small  variety  is  found  abundantly  in  fishes  caught  in  our  har- 
bour, though  I  have  never  found  it  washed  ashore. 

I  have  regarded  the  small  shells  as  the  young,  or  a  dwarf  variety  of 
the  type,  though  Mr.  Sowerby  is  rather  disposed  to  regard  them  as  a 
good  species.  And  I  had  also  regarded  the  next  species  as  variety 
ablreviatus  of  the  same  ;  but  as  I  find  it  accurately  described  by  Mr. 
Gray,  I  have  concluded  to  follow  him,  since  I  can  do  it  without  im- 
posing any  new  name.  The  true  Murex  corneus  of  Linnaeus  is  said 
to  be  the  Fusus  ligndrius  of  Lamarck. 

FUSUS    VENTRICOSUS. 

Shell  ovate-globose,  bluish-white,  covered  with  a  thick  epider- 
mis ;  whorls  five,  marked  with  revolving  lines  ;  aperture  longer 
than  the  spire. 

FIGURE  200. 
State  Coll.,  No.  13.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2376. 

Fusus  Islandicus  (var.),  KIENER  ;  Species,  pi.  15,  f.  2. 

Fusus  ventricosus,  GRAY;  in  Zool.  to  Beechey's  Voyage,  117. 

Fusus  corneus  (var.)  ?  BROWN  ;  Conch,  of  Great  Brit.,  fyc.,  pi.  47,  f.  11, 12. 

Fusus  striatus,  of  Paris  collections,  on  authority  of  Mr.  Sowerby. 

This  species  is  closely  allied  to  the  preceding  in  color,  mark- 
ing, and  texture.  It  is,  however,  much  more  ventricose,  the  last 
whorl  composing  nearly  the  whole  shell.  It  maintains  its  pro- 
portions through  all  the  sizes  and  ages  I  have  seen.  It  is  also 
shorter  and  finer  lined  than  F.  Sablni,  Gray,  found  in  the  Arctic 
seas,  to  which  Brown's  figure  perhaps  applies  more  properly  than 
to  this  species. 

I  have  never  seen  it  from  any  other  locality  than  the  Bank 
fishing-grounds,  and  this  may  add  to  its  claims  to  be  regarded  as 
a  distinct  species.  Length  ly7^  inch,  breadth  ITI<J  inch,  diver- 
gence 78°. 

The  aperture  is  nearly  twice  as  long  as  the  spire,  and  the  revolving 
lines  are  closer  and  more  regular  than  in  F.  Islandicus. 

The  above  name,  applied  to  it  by  Mr.  Gray,  is  perhaps  not  objec- 
tionable, though  it  was  formerly  applied  to  Rostelldria  curvirostris. 


286  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

FUSUS    TORNATUS. 

Shell  turreted,  coarse,  pale-brownish ;  whorls  eight,  convex,  en- 
circled by  elevated  bands  of  a  pale  chestnut-color  ;  aperture  round- 
ed, canal  short,  and  strongly  recurved. 

FIGURE  201. 
State  Coll.,  No.  13.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2376. 

Fusus  tornatus,  GOULD  ;  Sittiman's  Journ.,  xxxiii.  197. 

Shell  turreted,  rough,  inelegant,  antiquated,  dingy-white,  or 
faint  brownish  horn-color  ;  whorls  eight,  very  convex,  rather  ven- 
tricose,  encircled  by  distant,  elevated,  light  chestnut-colored 
bands  or  ribs  ;  on  the  upper  whorls  two  of  these  lines,  more 
prominent  than  the  rest,  give  them  a  bicarinated  appearance ; 
on  the  last  but  one  there  are  usually  three  lines,  and  on  the  lowest 
are  several  others,  gradually  diminishing  in  prominence,  and 
never  reaching  the  front,  except  in  immature  shells  ;  sutural  di- 
vision abrupt  ;  striae  of  growth  quite  apparent,  but,  with  these  ex- 
ceptions, the  shell  has  a  smooth  and  worn  appearance  ;  aperture 
rather  less  than  half  the  length  of  the  shell,  broad-oval,  and  some- 
what dilated  ;  outer  lip  sharp  and  somewhat  angulated  by  the 
most  prominent  revolving  bands  ;  inner  margin  covered  with  a 
callus  in  mature  shells  ;  canal  short,  and  very  much  recurved. 
Length  2J  inches,  breadth  1J  inch,  divergence  50°. 

From  the  Bank  Fisheries.  Taken  from  cod-fish.  Several 
good  specimens  of  various  ages  are  now  before  me,  for  most  of 
which  I  am  indebted  to  the  kindness  of  Colonel  Totten. 

This  shell  is  undescribed,  unless  it  be  the  much-debated  and  equivo- 
cal Murex  despectus  of  Linnaeus,  about  which  British  writers  seem  to 
have  been  so  much  puzzled.  It  differs  from  the  early  state  of  the 
Fusus  antiquus  of  Linnaeus,  the  F.  despectus  of  most  British  con- 
chologists,  in  the  more  rounded  form  of  the  whorls,  and  in  being  des- 
titute of  the  net-work  formed  by  the  close  revolving  and  longitudinal 
striae,  and  it  would  evidently  never  assume  the  appearance  of  a  ma- 
ture F.  antiquus. 

The  only  figures  I  have  seen  at  all  resembling  this,  are  figure  1295 
of  Martini,  which  he  regards  as  a  variety  of  Murex  antiquus,  as  in- 


CANALIFERA.  MOLLUSCA.  FUSUS.          287 

deed  he  does  the  M.  despectus  of  Linnaeus  also  ;  and  the  figure  of 
Donovan  in  his  "  British  Shells,"  vol.  v.  pi.  180,  under  the  name  of 
Murex  despectus.  I  have  very  little  doubt  that  it  is  the  genuine  M. 
despectus  of  Linnaeus ;  but  as  another  shell  is  now  universally  received 
under  that  name,  it  seems  the  most  judicious  way  to  apply  a  new 
name  to  this,  with  the  above  explanation. 

This  shell  probably  never  becomes  three  inches  in  length.  It  is  in- 
elegant and  coarse,  in  general  smooth  and  somewhat  shining,  though 
seeming  to  be  made  up  of  small,  plane  surfaces,  rather  than  curved 
ones.  The  elevated  lines  are  broad,  and  smoothly  rounded,  of  a 
darker  color  than  the  rest  of  the  shell,  and  give  it  an  appearance  as 
though  it  might  have  been  turned  in  a  lathe,  but  left  in  an  unfinished 
state.  In  general  outline  it  very  strongly  resembles  the  fossil  F.  con- 
trarius  of  the  English  crag  formation. 

Fusus  DECEMCOSTA'TUS. 

Shell  ova/,  turreted,  ash-colored,  with  ten  elevated,  rounded, 
horn-colored  ribs  on  the  lower  whorl,  and  two  on  the  upper  ones. 

FIGURE  202. 
State  Coll.,  No.  18.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  314. 

Fusus  decemcostatus,  SAY  ;  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.t  v.  214. 
Fusus  carinatus,  KIENER  ;  Species,  (Fusus)  pi.  19,  f.  1. 

Shell  obliquely  oval,  narrowed  at  both  ends,  solid,  coarse, 
spire  elevated  and  turreted,  ash-colored,  composed  of  about  six 
convex  whorls,  coarsely  wrinkled  by  the  lines  of  growth  ;  lower 
whorl  turgid,  and  girdled  by  about  ten  broad,  elevated,  rounded 
ribs  or  keels,  of  a  light  reddish  horn-color  ;  they  are  about  equi- 
distant, the  posterior  one  is  the  largest,  and  the  successive  ones 
go  on  diminishing,  till,  about  the  beak,  they  become  nearly  ex- 
tinct ;  between  the  posterior  rib  and  the  suture  is  a  broad,  exca- 
vated shoulder,  giving  the  shell  a  turreted  appearance  ;  the  two 
largest  ribs  revolve  also  on  all  the  upper  whorls  ;  the  space  be- 
tween the  ribs  is  marked  by  fine  revolving  lines  ;  aperture  ovate  ; 
outer  lip  sharp,  and  modified  by  the  termination  of  the  ribs  ;  inner 
margin  regularly  arched,  and  thinly  spread  with  white  enamel  ; 
the  pillar,  at  its  lower  third,  twists  outwards  to  form  a  short,  curved 
beak,  and  has,  at  this  part,  an  imperfect  umbilicus,  bounded  ex- 


288  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

ternally  by  a  rough,  obtuse,  spiral  ridge  ;  throat  white,  having 
shallow  grooves  of  a  chestnut-color  at  the  margin,  answering  to 
the  external  ribs  ;  operculum  horny.  Length  3  inches,  breadth 
If  inch,  divergence  68°. 

Thrown  up  after  violent  storms  on  the  shores  of  Massachusetts 
Bay,  and  along  more  northerly  coasts.  It  is  seldom  found  with 
the  mouth  entire,  though  it  may  contain  the  living  animal  ;  show- 
ing that  it  probably  inhabits  rocks  in  deep  water. 

It  resembles  no  other  shell  of  the  genus,  unless,  perhaps,  it  be 
F.  carinatus,  which  is  a  more  ventricose  shell,  with  fewer  and  narrow- 
er ribs.  But  Kiener  must  be  mistaken  in  regarding  it  as  the  F.  cari- 
natus of  Lamarck.  There  is  no  reason  to  suppose  that  his  F.  cari- 
natus was  different  from  that  of  other  authors,  who  give  figures  vary- 
ing widely  from  our  shell.  Kiener's  figure  is  taken  from  a  small, 
slender  specimen.  It  is  still  more  like  Purpura  succincta,  in  general 
aspect.  It  is  subject  to  but  little  variation ;  the  most  important  one  is, 
that  a  third  rib  is  found  upon  one  or  more  of  the  upper  whorls. 

FUSUS    SCALARIFORMIS. 

Shell  fusiform,  white  or  reddish-brown,  with  fifteen  or  twenty 
longitudinal,  compressed  ribs  ;  aperture  of  the  length  of  the  spire. 

FIGURE  203. 

State  Coll.,  No.  164.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2356. 

Fusus  scalariformis,  GOULD  j  Silliman's  Journ.,  xxxviii.  197. 

Shell  tapering  at  both  extremities,  reddish-brown  in  the  young- 
er stages,  white  when  old,  whorls  seven,  turgid,  covered  at  close 
intervals  with  fifteen  to  twenty  compressed,  white  ribs,  or  arching 
plates,  laying  over  each  other  like  tiles  ;  they  are  generally  a  little 
flexuous,  the  edges  sharp  and  jagged  when  young,  and  more 
erect,  smooth,  and  blunt  on  old  specimens  ;  they  are  usually  some- 
what more  elevated  at  the  posterior  part  of  the  whorls,  so  as  to 
produce  an  angular,  or  coronated  appearance  ;  the  interstices,  in 
adult  shells,  are  smooth,  somewhat  wrinkled  at  the  sutures,  with 
numerous  faint,  revolving  lines,  which  are  not  visible  on  younger 
shells  ;  aperture  half  the  length  of  the  shell,  produced  into  a 
moderately  long,  slightly  recurved  beak,  irregularly  wrinkled  by 


CANALIFERA.  MOLLUSCA.  FUSUS.          289 

the  transverse  terminations  of  the  ribs  ;  right  lip  thickened  or 
sharp,  according  as  it  is  or  is  not  terminated  by  a  rib  ;  throat 
light  chestnut-brown,  like  the  exterior  of  young  shells.  Length 
If  inch,  breadth  f  inch,  divergence  45°. 

Of  six  specimens  in  my  possession,  four  belong  to  Colonel 
Totten,  who  kindly  sent  them  to  me  for  description,  one  was 
from  Dr.  J.  B.  Forsyth  of  Sandwich,  all  of  which  were  from 
the  Bank  Fisheries  ;  and  one  was  taken  from  a  fish  caught  in 
Massachusetts  Bay  by  Mr.  Couthouy. 

This  shell  is  remarkable  for  its  sharp,  elevated  ribs,  as  if  the  sur- 
face were  raised  by  flakes  arranged  like  the  ribs  on  most  species  of 
Scalaria.  It  is  very  much  like  the  Fusus  Bamffius,  but,  on  the  whole, 
I  think  it  is  different,  inasmuch  as  we  have  that  species  with  its  undoubt- 
ed characters,  and  the  two  never  seem  to  run  into  each  other.  The 
large  figure  of  Donovan,  (Brit.  Shells,  pi.  169,  f.  1,)  given  as  Murex 
Bamffius,  represents  our  shell. 

It  is  allied  to  M.  Magelldnicus ;  and  the  figure  in  "  Encyc.  Meth." 
pi.  438,  f.  4,  referred  to  as  M.  lyratus,  Lam.,  bears  a  distant  resem- 
blance to  it. 

Fusus  BA'MFFIUS. 

Shell  small,  brownish  ;  whorls  six,  ventricose,  ribbed  lengthwise 
with  numerous  sharp,  raised  plaits ;  aperture  rounded ;  canal 
curved. 

FIGURE  198. 
State  Coll.,  No.  12.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2369. 

Murex  Bamffius,  DONOVAN  ;  Brit.  Shells,  v.  pi.  169,  f.  2.     MATON  and  RACKETT  ; 

Lin.  Trans.,  viii.  149.    MONTAGU  ;    Test.  Brit.,  SuppL,  117. 
Fusus  Bamffius,  FLEMING  ;  Brit.  Anim.,  351.   BROWN;  Conch,  of  Great  Brit.,  fyc., 

pi.  47,  f.  1. 

Shell  small,  light-brownish,  composed  of  six  rounded  whorls, 
forming  an  elevated  spire  ;  suture  deeply  defined.  The  stages  of 
growth  are  distinctly  marked  by  an  expansion  of  the  lip,  so  as  to 
cover  the  surface  of  the  shell,  lengthwise,  with  from  fifteen  to 
twenty  sharp,  raised  folds,  of  a  whitish  color,  which  become 
rounded  into  brownish  ribs  by  age  ;  aperture  less  than  half  the 
length  of  the  shell,  rounded- ovate,  terminating  in  a  curved  canal, 
37 


290    INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

about  half  as  long  as  the  aperture  ;  lip  sharp,  direct  or  reflexed, 
according  to  the  stage  of  growth  ;  aperture  brown.  Length  | 
inch,  breadth  •£$  inch,  divergence  33°. 

Occasionally  found  in  the  stomachs  of  fishes. 

This  is  undoubtedly  the  F.  Bamffius  of  English  authors,  as  deter- 
mined by  actual  comparison.  But  the  similarity  of  this  and  the  pre- 
ceding species  is  such,  as  to  raise  the  question  whether  they  are  not  the 
same.  Their  shape,  color,  number  of  whorls,  and  character  of  the 
surface  is  the  same,  and  they  scarcely  differ  in  any  thing  but  size,  this 
species  being  a  miniature  of  the  other.  And  yet  there  is  a  constancy 
in  both,  and  none  of  those  intermediate  specimens  which  mark  the 
connection  of  distant  varieties.  I  have  no  doubt  that  the  large  figure 
of  Donovan,  which  represents  what  he  regarded  as  a  very  large 
growth  of  his  M.  Bamffius^  was  taken  from  a  specimen  of  what  I  have 
described  as  a  new  species.  Brown  seems  to  have  copied  that  figure, 
but  in  such  a  way  as  to  render  it  doubtful  to  which  species  his  figure 
would  best  apply.  I  have  never  seen  this  species  exceed  three  fourths 
of  an  inch  in  length ;  while  my  smallest  specimen  of  F.  scalar  if ormis, 
an  immature  specimen,  is  more  than  an  inch  in  length.  It  generally 
appears  covered  with  an  ash-colored  mouldiness,  which  disappears 
when  moistened. 

FUSUS    RUFUS. 

Shell  slender  and  tapering,  fawn-colored ;  whorls  eight,  having 
eighteen  or  twenty  oblique,  rounded  folds,  and  minute  revolving 
lines. 

FIGURE  192. 
State  Coll.,  No.  15.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2374. 

Murex  rufus,  MONTAGU;  Test.  Brit.,  263.  MATON  and  RACK ETT;  Lin.  Trans., 
viii.  145.  DILLWYN;  Catal.,  ii.  744.  TURTON  ;  Conch.  Diet.,  93.  WOOD; 
Index,  pi.  27,  f.  134.  FLEMING  ;  Brit.  Jlnim.,  350. 

Fusus  pleurotomarius,  COUTHOUY  ;  Host.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  ii.  107,  pi.  1,  f.  9. 

Shell  elongated,  tapering  to  an  acute  point,  reddish  fawn-color- 
ed ;  whorls  eight,  slightly  convex,  with  numerous  obliquely  undu- 
lating folds  or  ribs,  amounting  sometimes  to  eighteen  or  twenty  ; 
these  are  quite  regular  and  prominent,  the  interstices  or  excava- 
tions between  them  being  of  equal  width  with  the  folds  ;  they  are 
most  prominent  on  the  upper  whorls,  and  vanish  about  the  middle 


CANALIFERA.  MOLLUSCA.  PUSUS.       291 

of  the  lower  whorl  ;  there  are  numerous  inconspicuous  revolving 
lines,  most  distinct  at  the  base  ;  larger  whorl  rather  more  than 
half  the  length  of  the  shell,  with  a  slight  shoulder  at  the  suture  ; 
aperture  short  and  narrow,  having  a  slight  notch  at  its  posterior 
angle,  and  terminating  abruptly  in  front,  without  an  elongated 
canal  ;  outer  lip  sharp ;  pillar  smooth,  moderately  arched. 
Length  |  inch,  breadth  ^  inch,  divergence  40°. 

Found,  not  unfrequently,  in  the  stomachs  of  fishes,  though 
rarely  in  a  fresh  state. 

On  comparison  with  specimens  sent  from  England,  I  coincide  with 
Mr.  Sowerby  in  opinion,  that  this  shell,  first  found  in  our  waters  by 
Mr.  Couthouy,  and  described  by  him  as  new,  is  the  Murex  rufus  of 
Montagu.  It  is,  however,  generally  much  larger  than  those  known  to 
Montagu,  his  specimens  being  less  than  half  an  inch  in  length. 

It  js  a  well  marked  species,  though  varying  much  in  its  depth  of 
color,  and  in  the  distinctions  of  the  spiral  lines.  The  spaces  between 
the  ribs  are  deep,  as  if  grooved  out.  The  canal  is  almost  too  short  for 
the  genus  Fusus,  while  the  notch  of  the  lip  approximates  it  to  PLEU- 
RO'TOMA. 

FUSUS    HARPULA'RIUS. 

Shell  long-ovate,  pointed,  turreted,  flesh-colored,  whorls  an- 
gular above,  with  about  sixteen  oblique,  rounded  folds  and  numer- 
ous revolving  lines. 

FIGURE  191. 

State  Coll.,  No.  21.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2375. 

Fusus  harpulkrius,  Couxnouy ;  Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  ii.  106,  pi.  1,  f.  10. 

Shell  ovate-oblong,  turreted,  of  a  brownish  flesh-color,  com- 
posed of  six  or  eight  angulated  whorls,  flattened  above  the  angle, 
so  as  to  form  a  slightly  sloping  shoulder  ;  lower  whorl  more  than 
half  the  length  of  the  shell,  having  about  eighteen  oblique,  rounded 
plaits  or  ribs,  vanishing  before  they  reach  the  beak,  and  crossed 
by  fine  revolving  lines,  most  conspicuous  in  the  interstices  ;  the 
upper  whorls  are  marked  in  the  same  manner  ;  beak  white,  short, 
somewhat  curved,  and  pointed  ;  aperture  narrow,  broadest  and 
angular  behind  ;  the  outer  lip  sharp  ;  inner  lip  white,  smooth,  and 


292  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

moderately  arched,  twisting  outwards  at  the  commencement  of  the 
beak.  Length  •£  inch,  breadth  i  inch,  divergence  48°. 

First  found  by  Mr.  Couthouy,  in  fish  taken  near  Nahant,  and 
frequently  obtained  since  from  the  same  locality. 

It  bears  a  close  resemblance  to  Fusus  turricula ;  and  Mr.  Sowerby 
seems  rather  disposed  to  regard  it  as  such.  But  the  marks  of  distinc- 
tion are  constant.  The  flesh  color  is  invariable  ;  the  length  of  the 
body  whorl  proportionally  greater,  and  it  is  more  convex,  and  less  an- 
gular ;  the  folds  are  more  oblique,  more  rounded,  and  the  beak  is 
shorter,  but  more  curved. 

From  F.  rufus  it  is  distinguished  by  a  less  dark  color,  less  promi- 
nent but  closer  ribs,  more  conspicuous  shoulder,  and  by  its  less  elon- 
gated and  slender  form,  and  the  absence  of  a  notch  at  the  posterior 
junction  of  the  outer  lip. 

It  has  a  general  resemblance  to  pi.  48,  f.  43,  44,  of  "Brown's 
Conch,  of  Great  Brit.,"  &c.  which  he  calls  Fusus  castdneus. 

FUSUS    TURRl'CULA. 

,  Shell  white,  thin,  whorls  very  conspicuously  angulated  and  tur- 
retedy  with  twelve  or  fourteen  prominent  ribs,  and  numerous  dis- 
tinct, revolving  lines. 

FIGURE  193. 
State  Coll.,  No.  16.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2357. 

Murex  turricula,  MONTAGU;    Test.   Brit.,  262,   pi.  9,  f.  1.    TURTON  ;    Conch. 

Diet.,  93.    DILLWYN;   CataL,  744.    MATON  and  RACKETT  ;  Lin.    Trans.,  viii. 

144.    Dorset  CataL,  pi.  14,  f.  15.    WOOD  ;  Index,  pi.  27,  f.  133. 
Fusus  turriculus,  BROWN  ;  Conch,  of  Great  Brit.,  pi.  48,  f.  51,  52. 
Fusus  turricula,  FLEMING  ;  Brit.  Anim.,  349. 
Murex  angulatus,  DONOVAN  ;  Brit.  Shells,  v.  156. 

Shell  thin,  pure  white,  sometimes  yellowish  or  brownish- 
white  ;  with  seven  or  eight  whorls,  rising  nearly  perpendicularly 
from  each  other  to  an  acute  apex,  and  having  an  abrupt,  broad, 
nearly  flat  slope  at  their  summits  ;  surface  with  twelve  or  fourteen 
somewhat  oblique,  rather  compressed  ribs,  which  vanish  before 
attaining  the  front,  traversed  by  numerous  distinct,  elevated  lines, 
of  which  one  at  the  angle  of  the  whorls  is  most  prominent,  these 
obsolete  at  the  edge  of  the  ribs  ;  beak  short,  open,  and  nearly 
straight ;  aperture  oblong,  broad,  and  angular  behind  ;  outer  lip 


CANALIFERA.  MOLLUSCA.  FUSUS.         293 

sharp,  or  thickened  by  a  rib  ;  inner  lip  smooth,  slightly  arched. 
Length  f  inch,  breadth  1  inch,  divergence  42°. 

Found  in  considerable  numbers,  and  in  a  very  fresh  state,  in 
the  stomachs  of  fish.  It  is  one  of  the  shells  common  to  both  At- 
lantic shores. 

This  is  a  very  pretty  shell,  and  is  not  likely  to  be  confounded  with 
any  other  except  F.  harpularius.  From  this  it  is  distinguished  by 
being  a  more  delicate  shell,  by  its  color,  by  the  smaller  number  of 
ribs,  and  by  the  remarkably  turreted  appearance  of  the  whorls.  The 
raised  line,  revolving  at  their  angle,  is  so  great  as  to  produce  a  small 
tubercle  there,  on  each  of  the  ribs.  The  aperture  is  usually  about 
half  the  length  of  the  shell ;  but  there  is  a  variety  in  which  the  aper- 
ture is  about  one  third  the  length  of  the  shell,  and  the  ribs  are  more 
numerous.  Mr.  Sowerby  intimates  that  our  shell  may  not  be  identical 
with  the  European  type  ;  but  on  the  whole,  I  cannot  persuade  myself 
to  regard  them  as  different.  The  variety  is  like  the  Murex  anguldtus, 
figured  by  Donovan. 

Fusus  MURICA'TUS. 

Shell  slender,  yellowish;  whorls  very  tumid,  with  about  ten 
conspicuous  folds  and  elevated  revolving  lines ;  beak  long  and 
straight. 

State  Coll.,  No.  14.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2377. 

Murex  muricktus,  MONTAGU  ;  Test.  Brit.,  262,  pi.  9,f.  2.  TURTON  ;  Conch.  Diet., 
95.  MATON  and  RACKETT  ;  Lin.  Trans.,  viii.  149.  DILLWYN  ;  Cutal.,  746. 
WOOD  ;  Index,  pi.  27,  f.  138.  FLEMING  ;  Brit.  Anim.,  351. 

Fusus  muricktus,  BROWN;  Conch,  of  Great  Brit.,  fy-c.,  48,  f.  28. 

Shell  elongated,  slender,  yellowish-white,  or  orange,  composed 
of  seven  very  convex  whorls,  the  suture  deeply  defined,  forming 
an  elevated,  pointed  spire  ;  these  are  traversed  by  about  ten 
broad,  rounded  folds  or  undulations  which  are  crossed  by  coarse, 
elevated,  revolving,  glossy  lines,  producing  a  rough,  granulated, 
almost  tubercular  surface  ;  aperture  broad  oval,  terminating  in  a 
long,  straight  canal,  which  together  equal  half  the  length  of  the 
shell  ;  outer  lip  rendered  jagged  by  the  revolving  lines,  and  some- 
times greatly  thickened  ;  inner  margin  smooth  and  simple.  Length 
•fs  inch,  breadth  T\  inch,  divergence  45°. 


294  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

Two  shells  answering  to  the  preceding  description  were  furnished 
me  from  the  cabinet  of  Dr.  Prescott,  of  Lynn,  as  taken  from  fish 
brought  to  Phillips's  Beach.  I  had  some  little  hesitation  in  admitting 
them  as  native  shells,  supposing  they  must  have  been  accidentally 
mingled  with  Massachusetts  shells.  But  I  am  now  disposed  to  regard 
it  as  another  of  the  shells  belonging  to  both  Atlantic  shores.  I  take  it 
to  be  the  M.  muricatus,  of  Montagu,  from  whose  figure  our  specimens 
differ  only  in  wanting  the  thickened  outer  lip,  a  character  which  age 
would  probably  produce.  I  may,  however,  be  deceived  on  both  these 
points.  It  is  readily  distinguished  by  its  long,  straight  beak,  which 
brings  it  among  the  true  Fusi. 

GENUS  PYRULA,  LAM. 

Shell  pear-shaped,  without  varices,  broad  at  the  spire,  and  taper- 
ing forwards  to  form  a  long,  straight  beak ;  aperture  longer  than 
the  spire,  broad  behind  ;  pillar  twisted. 

PY'RULA  CANALICULATA. 

Shell  large,  pear-shaped,  covered  with  revolving  lines,  and  a 
hispid  epidermis ;  lower  whorl  tumid,  ending  in  a  long  canal,  a 
nodular  keel  crowns  the  flattened  summit  of  each  whorl,  and  there  is 
a  deep  and  broad  channel  at  the  suture. 

FIGURE  206. 
State  Coll.,  No.  23.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  317. 

Murex  canaliculatus,  LIN  ;  Syst.  JVa*.,  (12th  ed.)  1222,  No.  555.  GMELIN  ;  3544, 
No.  65.  GUALT.  ;  Test.,  t.  47,  f.  A.  MARTINI  ;  Conch.,  in.  t.  66,  f.  742,  743. 
LISTER  ;  Conch.,  t.  878,  f.  2.  KNORR  ;  Fergn.,  i.  t.  B.  6,  f.  4. 

Py'rula  canaliculata,  BRUG.;  Encyc.  Meth.,  436,  f.  3.  LAM.;  An.  sans  Vert., 
(1st.  ed.)  vii.  138.  ADAMS  ;  Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  ii.  269. 

Py'rula  spirata,  KIENER;  Species,  pi.  10,  f.  1. 

Shell  large,  rather  thin,  pear-shaped  ;  pale  fawn-color,  coarsely 
marked  with  revolving  lines  ;  composed  of  about  six  turreted 
whorls,  the  last  very  large  and  tumid  above,  gradually  diminishing 
downward,  and  terminating  rather  abruptly  in  a  long,  nearly 
straight  canal  or  beak  ;  a  nodulous,  beaded  cord  or  keel  surrounds 
the  most  prominent  part  of  each  whorl,  behind  which  it  is  abruptly 
flattened  ;  at  the  suture  is  a  broad  and  deep  channel,  so  that  the 
upper  whorls  are  composed  of  an  upright  portion,  and  a  nearly 


CANALIFERA.  MOLLUSCA.  PYRULA.          295 

horizontal  one,  all  terminating  in  a  pointed  apex,  and  forming  a 
winding  terrace  up  the  spire  ;  covered  with  a  dense  yellowish- 
brown  epidermis,  bristling  with  stiff,  curved  hairs  along  the  lines 
of  growth,  and  at  regular  intervals  corresponding  with  the  revolv- 
ing lines  of  the  shell  ;  aperture  ovate,  three  fourths  the  length  of 
the  shell,  the  outer  lip  simple,  sharp,  and  arched  ;  the  inner  margin 
concave  and  twisted  as  it  turns  out  to  form  the  canal,  smooth  and 
enamelled  ;  within,  brightly  polished,  variously  shaded  witt  chest- 
nut and  fawn-color  ;  operculum  small  for  the  shell,  oval,  the  apex 
at  the  lower  extremity,  its  elements  coarse,  strengthened  on  the 
inner  side  by  a  varnished  deposit.  Ordinary  length  6  inches, 
breadth  3  inches. 

Found  about  Nantucket,  Martha's  Vineyard,  Buzzard's  and 
Narraganset  Bays.  It  is  set  down,  in  all  the  works  I  have  seen, 
as  an  inhabitant  of  the  arctic  seas,  and  Canada.  But  Cape  Cod  is 
probably  its  northernmost  limit  ;  at  least,  I  have  never  heard  of  it 
farther  north.  I  believe  too,  that  it  does  not  extend  far  south. 

It  seems  superfluous  to  be  minute  in  the  description  of  a  shell  which 
would  at  once  be  recognised,  when  we  have  said  that  it  is  a  large, 
pear-shaped  shell,  with  its  peculiar  channel  at  the  suture,  and  each 
whorl  crowned  with  a  beaded  circlet.  It  is  subject,  however,  to  con- 
siderable variations.  It  varies  in  color,  from  light-orange  to  livid- 
brown.  In  thickness,  also,  there  is  great  diversity.  In  the  old  shells, 
the  nodules,  which  are  so  regular  in  the  young,  are  worn  off,  and  they 
seldom  exhibit  more  than  vestiges  of  the  bristled  epidermis.  The 
largest  specimen  I  have  seen  is  seven  inches  in  length.  Kiener,  like 
his  predecessors,  has  associated  two  shells  under  the  same  name, 
which  are  certainly  distinct,  and  probably  come  from  different  quar- 
ters of  the  globe.  Which  should  be  held  as  the  M.  canaliculdtus  of 
Linnaeus,  must  remain  uncertain,  since  the  essential  character  of  his 
species  is,  a  canal  intervening  between  the  whorls  at  the  suture  ("  quod 
anfractus  in  spira  non  contigui  sunt,  sed  canali  distantes"),  a  character 
which  belongs  to  both  species.  Gualter  and  Davila  evidently  had 
reference  to  our  shell  alone. 

The  ova  are  contained  in  membranous  cases,  about  the  size  and 
thickness  of  a  cent.  Great  numbers  of  these  are  united  together  in  a 
parallel  position,  about  one  fourth  of  an  inch  apart,  by  a  ligamentous 
thong  attached  to  their  edge,  so  as  often  to  form  strings  a  yard  in 
length,  gradually  diminishing  in  size  from  one  end  to  the  other.  They 


296    INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

are  represented  in  "  Ellis's  Corallines,"  t.  33,  f.  b.  When  the  em- 
bryo is  sufficiently  mature,  the  young  escape  through  an  opening  in 
the  edge,  opposite  to  that  where  the  ligament  is  attached. 


PY'RULA  CA'RICA. 

Shell  large,  solid,  pear-shaped,  spire  not  turreted,  suture  not 
channelled,  having  a  series  of  the  triangular,  compressed  tubercles 
just  above  it,  and  encircling  the  most  prominent  part  of  the  body 
whorl ;  canal  long  and  flexuous. 

State  Coll.,  No.  22.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  318. 

Murex  carica,  GMELIN  ;  3545,  No.  67.     LISTER;  Conch.,  880,  f.  3  b.     GUALT.; 

Test.,  t.  47,  B.    MARTINI  ;  Conch.,  iii.  t.  69,  f.  744,  756.     KNORR;  Vergn.,  vi. 

t.  27,  f.  1. 
Pj'rula  carica,  BRWG.  ;  Encyc.  M6th.,  pi.  435,  f.  5.     LAM.,  An.  sans  Vert.,  (1st 

ed.)  vii.  138.     ADAMS  ;  Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  ii.  269. 

Shell  large  and  thick,  ovate  pear-shaped,  ash-colored ;  whorls 
six,  the  lowest  large  and  capacious,  broadest  at  its  posterior  fifth 
where  it  is  crowned  by  a  series  of  compressed,  triangular  no- 
dules, one  at  each  stage  of  growth  ;  the  spire  suddenly  slopes 
backwards  from  these  to  the  suture,  which  is  well  defined,  but  not 
channelled  ;  the  spire  is  a  low  cone,  pointed,  the  series  of  nodules 
encircling  the  base  of  each  whorl ;  below  the  nodules  the  lower 
whorl  gradually  diminishes  and  extends  into  a  long,  conical  beak  ; 
surface  distinctly  marked  by  an  elevated  ridge  of  a  darker  color  at 
each  stage  of  growth,  and  by  revolving  lines  alternately  larger  and 
smaller;  aperture*  long  ovate,  angular  at  its  junction  behind, 
where  a  canal  is  formed  by  a  protuberance  of  the  opposite  mar- 
gin ;  outer  lip  simple,  sharp,  regularly  curved  to  the  extremity  of 
the  beak,  or  slightly  arched  at  the  middle,  not  otherwise  con- 
tracted at  the  commencement  of  the  canal ;  pillar  lip  flexuous, 
concave  above,  and  to  the  beginning  of  the  canal  where  it  twists 
outwards,  causing  a  bluntly  rounded  projection,  and  forming  the 
inner  margin  of  the  canal,  which  is  gently  curved  upwards,  and  to 
the  right  ;  interior  bright  brick-red  or  light  fawn-color ;  opercu- 
lum  unguiform,  apex  at  one  end,  inner  side  of  a  wax-like  texture, 


CANALIFERA.  MOLLUSCA.  RANELLA.         297 

strengthened  by  an    entire   rim  of  a   dark,  vitreous  substance. 
Length  7  inches,  breadth  4  inches. 

Found  in  company  with  the  preceding,  but  less  abundant.  It 
is  a  shell  belonging  to  a  more  southern  latitude,  and  is  found  of 
great  size,  and  deep  color,  on  the  southern  coast  of  the  United 
•States. 

This  is  the  largest  convoluted  shell  on  this  Atlantic  coast,  and  is  rec- 
ognised without  difficulty.  Still  it  exhibits  great  variety  in  appear- 
ance, particularly  in  the  length  of  the  spinous  tubercles.  Sometimes 
they  are  half  an  inch  in  length,  and  at  others,  mere  traces  of  them  are 
all  that  is  found  on  the  larger  volutions  ;  sometimes  they  are  close  at 
the  suture,  even  encroaching  upon  the  whorl  below ;  and  at  others, 
they  are  removed  to  a  considerable  distance  above  it.  In  the  old 
shells  the  surface  is  a  nearly  uniform  dead,  ashy-gray  color ;  while 
in  the  young,  there  are  stripes  at  each  stage  of  growth,  and  imperfect 
bands  of  a  violaceous-brown  color.  Southern  specimens  are  more 
luxuriant,  with  more  brilliant  colors,  as  might  be  expected  from  a 
warmer  climate. 

GENUS  RANELLA,  LAM. 

Shell  oblong-oval,  thick,  nodulous,  having  a  line  of  varices  on 
each  side,  formed  at  each  half  revolution ;  aperture  oval,  terminat- 
ing in  a  straight  canal  in  front,  and  in  a  notch  posteriorly ;  lip 
thickened. 

RANE'LLA  CAUDA'TA.' 

Shell  rhomboidal,  thick,  cinereous  brown,  checkered  with  longi- 
tudinal ribs  and  revolving  lines,  canal  long  and  straight. 

FIGURE  204. 

State  Coll.,  No.  3.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  348. 

Ranella  caudata,  SAY  ;   Journ.  Acad.  Nat.   Sc.,  ii.  236.    jlmer.   Conch.,  pi.  48. 
ADAMS;  Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  ii.  269. 

Shell  rhomboidal,  solid,  of  a  dark  mahogany-color,  obscured  by 
a  substance  like  bluish-mould  ;  there  are  five  angular  whorls,  trav- 
ersed lengthwise  by  eleven  elevated  ribs,  of  which  one  at  the  left 
side  of  the  largest  whorl,  and  the  one  bordering  the  aperture,  are 

58 


298  INVERTEBRATA   OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

enlarged  into  strong,  wing-like  varices  ;  these  are  crossed  by  equi- 
distant, revolving  threads,  which  together  form  a  network  over 
the  shell  ;  aperture  inversely  ovate,  rounded  behind,  and  pointed 
before  ;  outer  lip  thick,  margined  within  by  raised  granules  which 
alternate  with  the  external  lines  ;  pillar  lip  curved,  flattened  and 
smooth,  and,  with  the  throat,  is  bluish-white  ;  canal  about  the 
length  of  the  spine,  straight  or  a  little  recurved,  narrow,  deep,  and 
partly  closed  over  by  the  continued  lips.  Length  1  inch,  breadth 
•j  inch,  divergence  60°. 

Found  sparingly  on  the  shores  of  Buzzard's  Bay,  Nantucket, 
and  Martha's  Vineyard.  According  to  Mr.  Say,  it  is  abundant  on 
the  Southern  coast.  It  is  the  only  species  known  on  the  coast  of 
the  United  States,  and,  as  a  species,  is  peculiar  on  account  of  the 
prolongation  of  its  canal. 

Mr.  Sowerby  regards  it  as  identical  with  R.  muriciformis,  Brod., 
from  Western  Columbia.  The  alliance  is  very  close,  but  ours  is  a 
much  more  delicate  shell.  At  any  rate,  Mr.  Say's  description  was 
published  ten  years  before  that  of  Mr.  Broderip. 


FAMILY  AL.TA,  LAM. 

Shell  with  a  straight  canal  at  the  front  of  the  aperture  ;  outer  lip  changing 
its  form  and  becoming  broadly  expanded  by  age. 

GENUS  ROSTELLARIA,  LAM. 

Shell  turreted,  spire  long,  aperture  long  and  narrow,  terminat- 
ing in  a  straight  canal  in  front,  and  in  a  channel  running  up  the 
spire  posteriorly  ;  outer  Up  thickened  and  widely  dilated. 

ROSTELLARIA  OCCIDENTALS. 

Shell  spindle-shaped,  the  outer  Up  expanded  into  a  broad,  thick 
wing  ;  whorls  convex,  with  numerous  waving,  longitudinal  folds, 
and  regular,  conspicuous,  revolving  lines. 

FIGURE  205. 
State  Coll.,  No.  2.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  3364. 

Rostellaria  (Aporrhais)  occidentals,  BECK  ;  LyelVs  CataL  of  Fossils  of  St.  Law- 
rence Bay,  in  Geolog.  Trans.    GUERIN  ;  Mag.  de  Zool.,  May,  1836,  pL  72. 


PURPURIFERA.  MOLLUSCA.  299 

Shell  thick  but  light,  of  a  livid  or  bluish-white  color  ;  exclud- 
ing the  wing,  it  is  spindle-shaped,  composed  of  eight  or  nine 
moderately  convex  whorls,  with  numerous  smooth,  rounded,  cres- 
cent-shaped folds,  which  scarcely  reach  the  well-marked  sutures  ; 
on  the  largest  whorl  there  are  about  twenty-five  folds,  and  on  the 
last  but  one  they  become  closer  and  fainter,  till  they  finally  dis- 
appear on  the  back  ;  two  or  three  whorls  at  the  pointed  apex  are 
also  destitute  of  folds  ;  beautiful  revolving  lines,  of  uniform  size 
and  distance,  also  ornament  the  shell ;  aperture  crescent-shaped, 
independent  of  the  wing  ;  this  arises  a  little  above  the  suture  of 
the  preceding  whorl,  and  passes  off  from  the  spire  at  an  angle  of 
about  one  hundred  and  twenty  degrees,  to  a  distance  equal  to  the 
breadth  of  the  lower  whorl  ;  after  forming  somewhat  of  a  spur  at 
the  posterior  and  outer  angle,  it  advances,  smooth  and  very  thick, 
at  nearly  a  right  angle,  in  a  straight  line  nearly  an  inch,  then,  form- 
ing an  obtuse  angle,  passes  obliquely  forward  to  the  pointed  termi- 
nation of  the  columella,  forming  with  it  a  short,  shallow,  and  ob- 
lique canal  ;  pillar  lip  smooth  and  rounded,  convex  above,  and 
concave  below  ;  throat  livid  ;  a  thick,  dusky  epidermis.  Length 
2J  inches,  breadth  1|  inch,  divergence  40°. 

Tips  of  this  shell,  some  of  them,  however,  wanting  nothing  but 
the  expansion  of  the  lip,  are  all  that  have  yet  been  found  in  our 
Bay,  and  along  the  coast  of  Maine.  Complete  shells  are  found 
in  fishes  taken  at  the  Newfoundland  Banks. 

It  is  a  very  extraordinary  shell,  resembling,  in  its  expansion  without 
digitations,  the  fossil  species  macroptera,  of  which  the  genus  HIPPO- 
CRE^NE  has  been  formed.  The  animal  is  not  known,  but  from  the  alli- 
ance of  the  shell  to  the  Aporrhdis  pes-pelecani  it  probably  belongs  to  the 
same  genus.  As  this  cannot  now  be  settled,  it  is  better  to  leave  it  still 
in  the  genus  ROSTELLA'RIA,  from  which  the  pes-pelecani  has  been  sep- 
arated, on  account  of  a  difference  in  the  animal. 

The  lip  is  very  remarkable,  and  very  much  resembles  the  lip  of 
Strombus  tricornis. 

FAMILY  PURPURIFERA,  LAM. 

Shell  with  a  short,  ascending  canal,  or  an  oblique  notch,  or  semi-canalt 
directed  upwards. 


300  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

GENUS  TRICHOTROPIS,  BROD,  and  SOWERBY. 

Shell  thin,  ventricose,  keeled,  umbilicated ;  aperture  longer  than 
the  spire,  compressed  into  a  partial  canal  in  front;  epidermis 
horny ,  rising  into  hairs  at  the  angles  of  the  shell ;  operculum  horny, 
nucleus  at  one  side. 

The  genus  TRICHOTROPIS  was  instituted  by  Mr.  Sowerby  to 
include  this  and  one  other  shell,  which  have  unequivocal  gen- 
eric traits,  but  whose  place  in  the  series  has  not  yet  been  deter- 
mined. Lesson  regards  it  as  allied  to  JA'NTHINA  ;  and  the  spe- 
cies which  he  knew  might  well  lead  him  to  such  an  opinion.  Mr. 
Sowerby  at  first  compared  it  with  TURBO,  BU'CCINUM,  and  CAN- 
CELLA  RIA.  But  in  his  late  work,  the  "  Conchological  Manual," 
he  places  it  among  the  PURPURIFER.E,  where  its  aspect  would 
lead  us  to  place  it.  It  is  very  peculiar  in  having  its  axis  fall  con- 
siderably to  the  left  of  the  canal. 

TRICHO'TROPIS  BOREA'LIS. 

Shell  ovate-rhomboidal ;  whorls  four,  the  last  very  broad,  and 
encircled  by  four  or  jive,  and  the  others  by  two,  prominent,  fringed 
ribs,  and  crossed  by  minute  and  regular  elevated  lines ;  umbilicated. 

FIGURE  207. 
State  Coll.,  No.  20.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2282. 

Trichotropis  bore&lis,  SOWERBY;  Zool.  Journ.,  iv.  373,  pi.  9,  f.  6,  7. 
Trichotropis  costellktus,  COUTHOUY  ;  Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  Uist.,u.  108,  pi.  3,f.  2. 

Shell  ovate-rhomboidal,  turreted,  spire  pointed  ;  color  ashy 
or  yellowish-white  ;  whorls  four,  separated  by  a  deeply  chan- 
nelled suture  ;  the  last  whorl  very  large,  and  encircled  by  two 
prominent,  and  two  or  three  less  conspicuous,  rounded  ribs  or 
keels,  and  several  still  smaller  intervening  and  adjacent  ones  ;  the 
two  large  ribs  only  are  continued  upon  the  upper  whorls,  which 
are  thereby  rendered  angular ;  very  numerous,  minute  and  regular 
threads,  traverse  the  length  of  the  shell,  not  being  interrupted  by 
the  ribs  ;  the  whole  is  covered  by  a  yellowish  horn-colored  epi- 
dermis, which  rises  like  a  bristly  fringe  along  the  keels,  and  along 


PURPURIFERA.  MOLLUSCA.          TRICHOTROPIS.       301 

those  lines  which  mark  the  stages  of  growth  ;  aperture  ovate,  broad 
and  rounded  behind,  narrowed  and  somewhat  pointed  in  front ; 
outer  lip  thin  and  sharp,  festooned  by  the  projecting  ribs  ;  inner 
lip  arched  and  flattened,  with  a  slight  inward  projection  at  the 
lower  third,  rising  before  the  umbilicus,  which  is  also  bounded  ex- 
ternally by  a  revolving  ridge  ;  the  two  lips  meet  in  front  at  an 
acute  angle,  forming  a  short,  slightly  excavated  canal,  turning  a  lit- 
tle to  the  right.  Length  T\inch,  breadth  T\  inch,  divergence  48°. 
Found  in  considerable  numbers,  though  rarely  entire,  in  fishes 
taken  in  Massachusetts  Bay. 

Mr.  Couthouy  makes  the  principal  points  of  difference  between  his 
shell  and  the  boredlis  of  Sowerby,  to  be,  a  greater  number  of  keels 
on  the  lower  whorl,  the  less  breadth  of  that  whorl,  and  the  shorter 
fringe  upon  it.  But  these  detailed  portions  are  by  no  means  constant. 
I  have  sent  specimens  to  Mr.  Sowerby,  who  assures  me,  they  are  the 
same  as  his  boredlis  received  from  Melville's  Island,  many  years  ago. 
He  also  sent  another  imperfect  shell,  dredged  at  Oban,  in  Argyleshire, 
by  Mr.  Jeffreys,  and  named  by  him  T.  acumindtus,  which  I  cannot 
perceive  to  differ  at  all  from  our  shell.  This  is  probably  its  southern 
limit. 

PU'RPURA  LAPI'LLUS. 

Shell  ovate,  pointed,  solid,  variegated  in  color,  white,  yellow, 
chocolate,  and  often  banded  with  white;  surface  with  numerous 
coarse,  revolving  ridges;  aperture  oval,  outer  lip  thickened,  and 
toothed  within. 

State  Coll.,  No.  10  and  11.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1502. 

Buccinum  lapillus,  LIN.  ;  Syst.  JVa*.,  1202.  PKNNANT  ;  Brit.  Zool.,  iv.  218,  t.  72, 
f.  89.  MARTINI;  Conch.,  iii.  429,  t.  121,  f.  1111,  1112,  and  iv.  22,  t.  122, 
f.  1124, 1125,  &c.  DONOVAN  ;  Brit.  Shells,  pi.  11.  WOOD  ;  Index,  pi.  23,  f.  62. 
MONTAGU;  Test.  Brit.,  239. 

Tritonium  lapillus,  MULLER  ;  Zool.  Dan.  Prodr.,  244. 

Purpuro-Buccinum,  DA  COSTA;  Brit.  Conch.,  125. 

Purpura  lapillus,  LAM.;  Jin.  sans  Vert.,  (1st.  ed.)  vi.  KIENER;  Iconog.  (Pourpre,) 
101,  pi.  29,  30,  31,  f.  77  to  77s.  FLEMING  ;  Brit.  Anim.,  341. 

Shell  ovate,  acutely  pointed  at  both  extremities,  thick  and 
solid,  varying  in  color,  from  white  through  yellow  to  a  dark  choc- 


302  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

olate,  and  often  with  bands  of  white  or  yellow,  of  different 
widths  ;  surface  more  or  less  wrinkled  and  encircled  with  numer- 
ous, coarse,  unequal  ridges.  Some  are  nearly  smooth,  and  others, 
at  the  lines  of  growth,  have  series  of  raised,  concave  scales,  which 
render  the  whole  shell  rough  and  prickly  to  the  touch  ;  whorls 
five  or  six,  in  some  convex,  so  that  the  spire  appears  turreted,  in 
others  flattened  below  the  sutures,  so  as  to  be  pyramidal.  Aper- 
ture oval,  the  outer  lip  regularly  curved,  sharp,  but  thickened,  and 
armed  with  blunt  teeth  at  a  little  distance  within,  so  that  the  aper- 
ture appears  spreading  ;  the  pillar  lip  moderately  flattened, 
smooth,  its  lower  portion  a  little  twisted,  so  as  to  form  a  moder- 
ate projection  within  the  shell,  and  a  crescent-shaped  umbilical 
depression  outside  ;  canal  short,  turning  a  little  to  the  right  ; 
throat  generally  light  reddish-brown,  with  a  lighter  border  to  the 
lip.  Operculum  horny,  elliptical.  Common  length  1J  inch, 
breadth  y^  inch. 

Inhabits  the  ocean  rocks  everywhere. 

While  there  is  an  individuality  about  this  shell,  by  which  it  is  easily 
recognised,  yet  it  is  infinitely  varied  in  its  details.  All  specimens  have 
the  coarse,  revolving  ridges,  and  the  peculiar  twist  of  the  flattened  pil- 
lar, characteristic  of  the  genus.  They  may  be  divided  into  two  groups, 
those  with  a  smooth,  and  those  with  a  rasp-like  surface.  The  smooth 
shells  are  the  most  solid,  and  are  usually  flattened  near  the  suture,  so 
as  to  give  the  shell  a  rhomboidal,  rather  than  an  ovate  outline.  This 
smoothness  is  not  the  effect  of  age,  as  has  been  generally  stated,  for 
the  young  shells,  in  both  groups,  are  like  the  old.  In  these  there  is 
nothing  like  an  umbilicus.  These  are  the  true  P.  lapillus. 

In  the  other  group,  the  whorls  are  more  convex,  the  suture  deep, 
and  the  surface  is  rendered  rasp-like  by  the  sharp,  scolloped  edges  of 
the  successive  lines  of  growth,  which  are  most  conspicuous  in  the 
youngest  specimens.  In  these  the  callus  is  abundant  upon  the  pillar, 
and  rises  in  such  a  manner  as  to  seem  to  cover  an  umbilicus.  In 
some  specimens  it  is  so  abundant  at  the  posterior  angle  of  the  aper- 
ture, that  the  two  lips  are  continuous,  and  their  junction  rounded.  The 
canal  in  this  variety  is  more  decided  and  longer.  This  variety  is 
Lamarck's  species  P.  imbricata. 

As  to  coloration,  both  varieties  pass  from  white  through  yellow 
to  a  dark  chocolate  or  slate-color ;  but  specimens  of  the  first  group, 


PURPURIFERA.  MOLLUSCA.  BUCCINUM.       303 

are  both  lighter  and  darker  than  those  of  the  second  group.  It  is  in 
the  first  group  only  that  I  have  met  with  the  banded  varieties.  These 
have  the  portion  next  the  suture,  the  base,  and  a  central  zone  dark, 
and  the  remainder  white ;  and  they  constitute  Lamarck's  species 
Mzondlis.  Kiener  has  figured  many  varieties,  but  it  would  be  impos- 
sible to  represent  every  aspect  of  a  shell,  in  which  no  two  individuals 
may  be  found  exactly  alike. 

Kiener  states  that  the  animal,  which  is  perfectly  white,  is  very  car- 
nivorous, and  that  by  it  are  produced,  principally,  the  perforations  so 
frequently  observed  in  bivalve  shells  on  the  shore.  This  remark  might 
apply  to  many  of  the  perforated  univalve  shells ;  but  it  would  hardly  be 
expected  that  this  animal,  whose  residence  is  confined  to  the  rocks, 
should  feed  upon  the  animals  of  bivalve  shells,  which  reside  only  in 
sand  or  mud.  The  NA'TICA  is  the  more  probable  depredator  in  this 
case. 

GENUS  BUCCINUM,  LIN. 

Shell  ovate-conic ;  aperture  having  a  notch  without  a  canal,  in 
front;  pillar  not  flattened,  somewhat  twisted. 

Bu'CCINUM    PLICOSUM. 

Shell  oval,  tapering  at  both  ends,  ash-colored,  or  reddish-brown, 
with  ten  or  twelve  undulations  on  the  lower  whorl,  crossed  by  numer- 
ous revolving  lines. 

FIGURE  213. 
State  Coll.,  No.  19.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  313. 

Fusus  cin&reus,  SAY  ;  Journ.  dead.  Nat.  Sc.,  ii.  236.   Amer.  Conch.,  pi.  29. 
Buccinum  plicosum,  MENKE. 

Shell  long-oval,  tapering  at  both  ends,  coarse,  solid,  of  a  red- 
dish-brown color,  more  or  less  dark,  covered  with  an  ashy-gray 
pigment  ;  on  some  specimens  are  two  faint  brown  bands  on  the 
larger  whorl ;  whorls  five  or  six,  convex,  compressed  about  the 
suture,  with  ten  or  twelve  rib-like  undulations  along  each,  crossed 
by  numerous,  somewhat  regular,  elevated,  revolving  lines  ;  aper- 
ture ovate,  and,  with  the  beak,  about  equals  the  spire  ;  outer  lip 
sharp,  scolloped  by  the  termination  of  the  revolving  lines,  with 
one  or  more  series  of  elevated,  whiter  lines  within,  corresponding 
to  the  external  grooves  ;  pillar  margin  slightly  arched,  covered 


304    INVERTEBRATA   OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

with  enamel,  which  rises  up  by  the  side  of  an  umbilical  depres- 
sion ;  beak  short,  slightly  curved  ;  throat  of  various  hues  from 
light  violet,  to  dark  chocolate  ;  operculum  horny,  rounded  ovate, 
elements  concentric  ;  the  nucleus  near  one  edge.  Length  1  inch, 
breadth  £  inch,  divergence  50°. 

Found  on  rocks  in  bays  and  inlets,  about  Nantucket,  New  Bed- 
ford, &c.,  and  occasionally  sheltered  under  the  edges  of  stones  in 
Boston  harbour.  I  am  not  aware  that  it  is  found  to  the  north  of 
Cape  Ann,  while  it  is  common  at  the  South,  and  grows  to  a  much 
larger  size. 

Animal  small,  foot  scarcely  covering  the  aperture,  very  little 
dilated  at  the  front  angles,  cream-colored,  margined  with  lemon- 
color  beneath,  punctured  with  light  drab  above  ;  siphon  merely 
surpassing  the  tip  of  the  canal ;  head  scarcely  protruded  ;  tenta- 
cula  nearly  united  at  origin  ;  eyes  black,  at  the  outer  upper  third 
of  tentacula,  which  third  is  a  mere  filament,  contractile.  Motions 
sluggish. 

Mr.  Say  noticed  that  its  habits  were  those  of  PU'RPURA  ;  but  it  is 
removed  from  both  Fusus  and  PU'RPURA  by  its  operculum,  and  will 
probably  prove  to  belong  to  the  genus  PO'LLIA  of  Gray.  Mr.  Say's 
specific  name  is  pre-occupied  by  another  species  of  BU'CCINUM. 

BU'CCINUM  DONOVA'NI. 

Shell  ovate-conic,  elevated  and  pointed ;  whorls  folded  length- 
wise, and  marked  with  revolving  lines  ;  the  lowest  ichorl  is  encircled 
by  a  rounded  carina ;  aperture  rounded,  lip  spreading. 

FIGURE  208. 
State  Coll.,  No.  165.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2378. 

Buccinum  glacikle,  DONOVAN  ;  Brit.  Shells,  v.  pi.  154.     BROWN  ;  Conch,  of  Great 

Brit.,  fyc.,  pi.  49,  f.  12,  13. 
Biiccinum  Donovani,  GRAY;  in  Zool.  to  Beechey's  Voyage,  128. 

Shell  ovate-conic,  spire  elevated  and  pointed,  solid,  of  a  livid 
brownish-color,  folded  obliquely  lengthwise,  the  lower  whorl  being 
merely  plaited  at  the  suture,  and  covered  with  rather  coarse  re- 
volving lines  ;  whorls  seven  or  eight,  moderately  convex,  and 


PURPURIFERA.  MOLLUSCA.  BUCCINUM.        305 

gradually  tapering ;  on  the  lower  one,  a  flattish  rib  or  keel  com- 
mences at  the  junction  of  the  lip,  and,  revolving,  terminates  about 
the  lower  third  of  the  lip;  suture  deep  and  undulating  ;  aperture 
less  than  one  half  the  length  of  the  shell,  rounded  ;  outer  lip  white, 
rather  thick,  and  spreading,  with  a  wave  at  its  posterior  portion  ; 
inner  margin  nearly  destitute  of  callus  ;  throat  livid  ;  canal  short, 
very  slightly  recurved.  Length  2  inches,  breadth  1T1^  inch,  diver- 
gence 42°. 

Inhabits  the  Bank  fishing-grounds. 

Distinguished  from  B.  undatum  by  its  more  slender  form,  greater 
polish,  its  rounded  aperture,  and  spreading  lip,  and  by  the  ribs  encir- 
cling the  larger  whorl.  None  of  the  specimens  exhibit  more  than  one 
well-developed  rib,  and  some  of  them  are  destitute  of  any.  It  has  also 
a  more  elongated,  and  more  acute  spire,  than  B.  glaciale,  and  Mr. 
Gray  seems  to  have  done  well  in  separating  it  from  that  species,  as  it 
is  commonly  received.  I  have  seen  a  few  perfect  specimens  taken 
from  fishes,  which  correspond  accurately  with  Donovan's  figure. 

BU'CCINUM  UNDA'TUM. 

Shell  ovate-conical,  ventricose,with  broad  folds  and  coarse,  re- 
volving lines ;  whorls  six,  convex ;  epidermis  grayish ;  aperture 
yellowish,  lip  slightly  notched ;  pillar  twisted,  canal  a  mere  notch. 

State  Coll.,  No.  9.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  511. 

Buccinum  crassum  rufescens,  LISTER  ;  Conch.,  t.  962,  f.  14. 

Buccinum    undatum,     LIN.;     Fauna    Suec,   No,    2163.     Syst.   Nat.,   No.   475. 

GMELIN;  3492     KNORR  ;   Vcrgn.,  iv.  t.  19,  f.  1.     MARTINI;  Conch.,  iv.  t.  126, 

f.  1206   to  1209.    PENNANT  ;  Brit.  Zool.,  t.73,  f.  9.    HUTCH.;  Dorset  Catal.,  42, 

1. 17,  f.  6.    MONTAGU;  Test.  Brit.,  237.  KIENER;  Iconog.,p\.  2,  f.  5.    DRUMMOND  ; 

Letters  to  a  Young  Naturalist.      BLAINV.  ;  Malacol.,  pi.  22,  f.  4.     SOWERBY; 

Conch.  Man.,f.  421.     DONOVAN;  Brit.  Shells,  iii.  104.    WOOD;  Index,  pi.  23, 

f.  107.     BRUG.  ;  Encyc.  Mdth.,  399,  f.  1. 
Buccinum  vulgare,  DA  COSTA  ;  Brit.  Conch.,  122,  t.  6,  f.  6. 
Tritonium  undatum,  MULLER;  Zool.  Dan.,  ii.  12,  t.  50.     FABR.;  Fauna  Granl., 

394. 
Buccinum  striatum, PENNANT  ;  Erif.  Zool,  t.  74,f.91.    LISTER;  Conch.,  t.  962,  f. 

15.    An.  AngL,  t.  3,  f.  3. 

Shell  thick,  ovate-conic,  ventricose,  grayish  or  brownish-white, 
encircled  with  prominent,   raised   lines,   from  one  fifth,  to   one 
39 


306    INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

tenth  of  an  inch  apart,  with  minute,  intervening  striae ;  with 
twelve  or  thirteen  longitudinal,  obliquely  waved,  elevated  ribs  or 
plaits,  traversing  the  upper  whorls,  fading  away  on  the  con- 
vexity of  the  lower  whorl,  and  generally  disappearing  entirely  a 
short  distance  from  the  lip  ;  a  yellowish-brown,  velvety  epidermis 
covers  the  shell  wholly,  or  near  the  lip  ;  whorls  six,  regularly  con- 
vex ;  aperture  oval,  about  one  half  the  length  of  the  shell,  white 
within,  or  more  frequently  of  a  brilliant  golden-yellow  ;  minute 
striae,  corresponding  to  the  prominent  lines  without,  extend  some 
distance  within  the  mouth,  and  produce  faint  crenulations  of  the 
outer  lip  ;  this  is  somewhat  everted,  and  arched  so  as  often  to 
produce  a  conspicuous  notch  at  about  its  posterior  third  ;  colu- 
mella  broadly  overlaid  with  callus,  somewhat  flattened,  and 
twisted  at  its  lower  portion  ;  not  extending  so  far  as  the  lip  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  canal.  Usual  length  3  inches,  breadth  1T9F 
inch. 

It  is  occasionally  found  on  some  of  the  rocky  bars  in  Bos- 
ton harbour,  particularly  Faun  Bar,  of  good  size  and  beauty. 
On  the  sandy,  beaches  it  is  thrown  up,  in  a  worn  state.  Still  far- 
ther eastward  it  becomes  abundant  ;  and  the  finest  I  have  ever 
seen  were  sent  to  me  by  Dr.  Mighels,  from  the  vicinity  of  Port- 
land. I  am  not  aware  that  it  is  found  south  of  Cape  Cod. 

I  have  given  a  description  of  our  B.  undatum,  as  it  most  commonly 
appears  with  us.  It  differs,  however,  in  several  points  from  the  Eng- 
lish shells,  as  figured  and  described  by  Pennant,  and  others.  It  is  more 
ventricose,  the  whorls  are  one  or  two  less  in  number ;  it  is  not  found 
of  so  large  a  size,  British  specimens  being  mentioned  four  or  five  in- 
ches long,  while  the  largest  I  have  seen  is  only  three  inches  and  a  half; 
the  striation  is  far  more  conspicuous,  and  the  remarkable  projection  of 
the  columella  beyond  the  rest  of  the  shell,  shown  in  foreign  specimens,  is 
not  found  in  ours ;  the  aperture  is  proportionally  broader,  and  the  ribs 
or  folds  less  distinct.  Its  golden  mouth,  too,  which  is  not  found  in  for- 
eign shells,  renders  it  a  beautiful  shell.  In  truth,  it  much  more  nearly  re- 
sembles Pennant's  B.  stridtum,  (Brit.  ZooL,  pi.  74)  ;  but  Turton  states, 
that,  in  the  B.  stridtum  (which  is  now  regarded  as  a  variety  of  B. 
undatum,)  the  shell  is  much  thinner  than  the  true  B.  undatum,  which 
is  not  the  case  in  our  shell. 

Kiener  observes,  that  this  species  is  very  variable  in  size ;  also  in  its 


PURPURIFERA.  MOLLUSCA.  BUCCINUM.       307 

form,  which  is  more  or  less  inflated,  sometimes  the  folds,  then  the 
striae,  and  then  both,  disappearing.  And  were  specific  names  to  be 
given  to  every  considerable  variety,. the  nomenclature  would  be  most 
unscientifically  burdened. 

The  figure  of  Kiener,  and  the  wood-cut  in  Drummond's  "  Let- 
ters," &c.,  are  accurate  representations  of  our  shell. 

Bu'CCINUM    CILIATUM. 

Shell  ovate-conic,  ventricose,  thin  ;  whorls  six  or  eight,  some- 
times folded  at  the  suture ;  spirally  striated,  ash-colored,  or 
clouded  with  brown ;  epidermis  hispid. 

FIGURE  209. 
State  Coll.,  No.  269.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2419. 

Tritonium  ciliatum,  O.  FABR.  ;  Fauna  Grcenl.,  401. 

Buccinum  ventricosutn,  KIENER  ;  Species,  (Buccinum,)  pi.  3,  f.  7. 

Shell  similar  to  B.  undatum,  but  thin,  paper-like,  and  destitute 
of  folds,  except  short  ones  near  the  suture,  so  as  to  give  that  part 
a  crenated  appearance.  The  whorls  are  more  convexly  rounded, 
so  as  to  be  nearly  cylindrical ;  surface  with  minute  and  close  re- 
volving lines,  color  yellowish,  or  livid,  most  specimens  with 
blotches,  or  dashes  of  brown  ;  epidermis  fawn-colored,  and  hispid 
with  short  hairs,  arranged  for  the  most  part  along  the  lines  of 
increase.  Aperture  short,  rounded,  lip  very  thin  ;  throat  pure 
white,  or  yellowish.  The  pillar  has  a  very  oblique,  obscure  fold. 
Length  2  inches,  breadth  1T\  inch,  divergence  58°. 

Taken  from  fishes  caught,  for  the  most  part,  at  the  Banks. 

The  thin  structure,  inflated  form,  and  want  of  undulations,  distin- 
guish this  species  from  the  preceding.  It  agrees  very  accurately 
with  the  description  of  Fabricius ;  and  Dr.  Loven  assures  me  that 
there  can  be  no  doubt  of  its  being  his  T.  cilidtum.  As  the  epidermis 
is  often  removed,  or  rubbed,  however,  we  do  not  always  find  it  fringed 
with  short  hairs,  "  ciliatus  pilis  brevibtis"  as  he  describes  Jt.  Nor  is 
it  less  doubtfully  the  B.  ventricosum  of  Kiener,  although  we  do  not 
often  find  it  clouded  with  blotches,  or  zigzag  stripes,  as  he  figures  it. 


308    INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

Bu'CCINUM     OBSOLETUM. 

Shell  ovate,  dark  reddish-brown,  covered  with  a  net-work  of  lines, 
and  oftentimes  folded ;  aperture  ovate,  dark-violet,  right  Up  simple 
and  sharp,  with  elevated  lines  icithin. 

FIGURE  210. 

State  Coll.,  No.  8.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  552. 

Nassa  obsoleta.  SAY  ;  Journ.  Jlcad.  Nat.  Sc.,  ii.  232. 
Buccinutn  Nov-Eboracensis,  WOOD  ;  Index,  Suppl.,  pi.  4,  f.  26. 
Buccinum  oliviforme,  KIENER  ;  Iconog.  (Buccin),  pi.  25,  f.  99. 
Buccinum  obsoletum,  ADAMS  ;  Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  ii.  267. 

Shell  ovular,  inelegant,  dark  reddish-brown  or  olive-colored, 
somewhat  shining  ;  whorls  six,  convex,  composing  a  moderately 
elevated  spire,  rather  blunt  at  the  apex,  which,  however,  is  gen- 
erally much  eroded  ;  suture  distinctly  marked  ;  surface  marked 
with  numerous  unequal,  revolving  lines,  which  are  crossed  by  mi- 
nute lines  of  growth,  and  larger  or  smaller,  more  or  less  numer- 
ous oblique  folds  ;  these  always  exist  on  the  smaller  whorls,  but 
are  often  entirely  wanting  on  the  lower  whorl,  the  whole  giving 
the  shell  a  granular  appearance  ;  aperture  oval,  outer  lip  simple 
and  sharp,  not  thickened  within,  but  marked  with  elevated  lines 
not  reaching  the  margin,  in  adult  specimens  ;  pillar  deeply  arched, 
overspread  with  enamel,  having  a  protuberance  or  fold  at  its  front, 
turning  into  the  interior  ;  canal  a  mere  notch  ;  throat  purplish- 
black,  fading  within,  and,  in  almost  every  instance,  with  a  bluish- 
white  band  at  its  posterior  third  ;  something  similar  is  found  on 
the  opposite  lip  ;  operculum  horny,  not  serrated.  Length  1  inch, 
breadth  \  inch,  divergence  50°. 

The  animal  is  variously  mottled  with  slate-color  ;  the  foot  is 
as  long  as  the  shell,  its  anterior  angles  prolonged  and  turned  back- 
wards ;  head  not  extending  beyond  the  shell ;  eyes  black,  on  the 
exterior  side  of  the  tentacula,  and  above  the  base  ;  above  the  eyes 
the  tentacula  are  suddenly  diminished,  and  bristle-shaped  ;  trunk 
cylindrical,  channelled  beneath,  half  as  long  as  the  shell,  and  very 
conspicuous. 

Its  movements  are  very  active,  and  it  collects  in  numbers  about 
dead  crabs  and  other  marine  animals,  on  which  it  feeds. 


PURPURIFERA.  MOLLUSCA.  BUCCINUM.         309 

Inhabits  all  our  muddy  shores,  preferring  situations  not  exposed 
to  the  surf  of  the  open  sea  ;  such  as  inlets  and  extended  flats 
which  are  drained  at  low  tide.  It  is  found  abundantly  at  the  con- 
fluence of  fresh  and  salt  water,  where  the  taste  is  merely  brackish. 
Professor  Adams  remarks,  that  the  finest  specimens  he  had  found 
"  were  growing  at  Nantucket,  where  they  are  as  abundant  as  in 
any  of  our  continental  harbours." 

No  shell  of  equal  size  is  so  abundant  on  the  whole  Atlantic  shore. 
Specimens  from  Florida  vary  only  in  being  smaller,  more  olivaceous, 
and  by  having  a  thick,  broad  callus  over  the  pillar. 

The  younger  shells  are  most  likely  to  be  collected,  because  the  old 
ones  become  very  much  eroded  and  defaced,  and  a  greenish,  mould- 
like  plant  vegetates  abundantly  upon  it.  Very  few,  therefore,  of  the 
shells  usually  collected,  have  the  lines  on  the  interior  of  the  outer  lip. 
Kiener's  figure  represents  an  immature  shell. 

Bu'cCINUM    TRIVITTATUM. 

Shell  ovate-conic,  turreted,  greenish- white,  surface  wrought  into 
a  net-work  by  elevated,  decussating  lines  ;  sometimes  with  three  dark 
bands  on  the  lower  whorl ;  raised  lines  within  the  lip. 

FIGURE  211. 
State  Coll.,  No.  6.      Soc.  Cab.,  No.  1498. 

Nassa  trivittata,  SAY;  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.,  ii.  231. 
Buccinum  trivittatum,  ADAMS  ;  Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  ii.  265. 

Shell  ovate-conic,  turreted,  apex  acute,  greenish  or  yellowish- 
white,  cross-barred,  so  as  to  appear  granulated,  by  means  of  prom- 
inent, equidistant,  longitudinal  lines,  and  ten,  equally  regular,  re- 
volving, impressed  lines  on  the  larger  whorl,  and  a  somewhat 
more  conspicuous  groove  near  the  summit  of  each  volution  ; 
whorls  seven,  flattened  above,  so  as  to  present  a  conspicuous 
shoulder  at  the  suture  ;  in  the  best  specimens  there  is  a  dark  band 
at  the  top,  on  the  middle,  and  at  the  front  of  the  body  whorl,  each 
occupying  two  series  of  granules  ;  the  lower  line  of  granules  on 
each  whorl  is  also  colored  ;  aperture  oval,  terminating  behind  in  a 
canal  formed  by  a  dilatation  of  the  right  lip,  and  a  fold  on  the  left, 
and  before  in  a  short,  ascending  beak  which  is  divided  from  the 


310   INVERTEBRATA   OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

body  of  the  shell  by  a  deep  groove  ;  outer  lip  sharp,  and  scol- 
loped by  the  revolving  lines  ;  pillar  regularly  arched,  with  a  dis- 
tinct, revolving  ridge  bordering  the  canal,  and  covered,  to  a  con- 
siderable extent,  with  greenish  enamel  ;  throat  white,  or  with 
brown  bands  corresponding  to  those  on  the  outside  ;  a  few 
elevated  lines  within,  not  reaching  the  margin  ;  operculum  horny, 
of  an  irregular,  three-sided  shape,  one  half  its  edge  sharply  ser- 
rated. Length  ^  inch,  breadth  T3^  inch,  divergence  45°. 

Found  in  a  worn  state  on  most  of  our  sea-beaches,  and  oc- 
casionally alive  at  Chelsea.  Dr.  William  Prescott,  of  Lynn, 
found  it  alive,  in  abundance,  at  low-water  mark,  on  Phillips's 
Beach  ;  Professor  C.  B.  Adams  found  it  at  New  Bedford,  and 
says  it  is  abundant  at  Nantucket,  on  the  inner  side  of  Brant  Point, 
and  also  on  the  south  shore,  less  abundant,  but  larger. 

No  other  shell  inhabiting  our  coast  bears  any  near  resemblance  to 
this.  Its  sculpture  is  like  that  of  B.  marginulatum  from  the  Indian 
Seas,  and  its  whole  appearance  is  very  much  like  that  of  Kiener's 
B.  Roissyi  from  the  Australian  Seas.  It  undergoes  considerable  varia- 
tion. The  three  lines  of  rufous  color  which  suggested  its  specific 
name  are  very  rarely  seen  on  shells  in  this  latitude  ;  and  then,  again, 
we  find  all  the  revolving  lines  more  or  less  colored.  In  some,  the  two 
sets  of  lines  are  precisely  alike  in  size  and  distance  ;  in  others,  the 
longitudinal  lines  are  much  the  most  distant,  and  become  more  like 
undulating  folds.  These  last  may  be  regarded  as  a  well-marked 
variety ;  they  are  also  more  acutely  pointed,  and  the  shoulder  at  the 
suture  is  more  rounded.  Specimens  from  Nantucket  have  the  inner 
margin  thickly  coated  to  a  considerable  extent  with  enamel,  while 
those  found  near  Boston  have  none.  I  have  a  specimen  T9^  of  an  inch 
long. 

BU'CCINUM    VIBEX. 

Shell  thick,  short,  ovate-conic  ;  surface  checked  with  waving 
folds  and  revolving  lines,  and  alternately  zoned  with  light  and  dark 
color  ;  lip  thickened  and  toothed  within  ;  pillar  with  a  broad  and 
thick  callus,  granulated  at  base. 

FIGURE  212. 
State  Coll.,  No.  5.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  576. 


PURPURIFERA.  MOLLUSC  A.  BUCCINUM.         311 

Nassa  vibex,  SAY;  Journ.  Jlcad.  JYa*.  Sc.,  ii.  231.    Atn.tr.  Conch.,  pi.  57,  f.  2. 
Buccinum  vibex,  ADAMS;  Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  ii.  204. 

Shell  solid,  short  ovate-conic,  of  an  ashy-white  color  ;  whorls 
six,  suture  very  fine  ;  body  whorl  with  about  twelve  undulating 
folds  or  ribs,  crossed  by  about  ten  elevated  lines,  most  distinct  on 
the  ribs  ;  the  space  between  the  two  upper  lines  is  more  deeply 
indented,  forming  pits  between  the  ribs  ;  a  pale-reddish  zone  en- 
circles the  top,  the  middle,  and  generally  the  base,  of  this  whorl, 
the  upper  one  and  the  ribs  being  continued  to  the  apex  ;  aperture 
oval,  outer  lip  thickened  without  and  within,  with  four  or  five 
teeth  within  ;  pillar  very  concave,  callus  abundant,  with  a  few 
granules  at  its  termination  ;  canal  very  short,  separated  from  the 
body  by  a  furrow.  Length  J  inch,  breadth  T\  inch,  diver- 
gence 67°. 

Specimens  of  this  shell  are  rare,  and  usually  have  a  chalky  as- 
pect. They  have  been  found  only  to  the  south  of  Cape  Cod. 
Mr.  Say  had  it  from  South  Carolina  ;  and  I  have  specimens  of  a 
shell  from  the  Spanish  Main  which  differ  only  in  the  greater  de- 
velopement  of  callus  and  brighter  colors. 

BU'CCINUM    ROSACEUM. 

Shell  small,  acutely  conic,  white,  tinged  with  rose-color  ;  whorls 
six,  covered  with  spiral  lines ;  aperture  ovate,  shorter  than  the  spire, 
pillar  arched  and  flattened,  lip  sharp,  and  without  teeth  within. 

FIGURE   195. 
State  Coll.,  No.  4.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  2379. 

Buccinum  roskceum,  GOULD  ;   Silliman's  Journ.,  xxxviii.  197. 

Shell  small,  elongated,  acutely  conic,  white,  tinged  with  rose- 
color,  closely  covered  with  minute  revolving  lines,  most  con- 
spicuous near  the  base  of  the  shell,  in  most  parts  microscopic  ; 
lower  whorl  as  long  or  longer  than  the  rest  of  the  spire  ;  suture 
faintly  impressed,  but  distinct  ;  aperture  about  two  fifths  the  length 
of  the  shell,  narrow-ovate  ;  outer  lip  sharp,  a  little  everted, 
smooth  within,  gently  curving  to  its  junction  with  the  spire  ; 
pillar  arcuated,  a  little  flattened,  smooth  and  white.  Length  -|T 
inch,  breadth  •£$  inch,  divergence  40°. 


312  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

This  little  shell  I  took  from  fish  caught  off  Cohasset.  It  has 
since  been  frequently  found  in  fishes  taken  in  various  parts  of  Mas- 
sachusetts Bay. 

It  belongs  to  Kiener's  section  of  Columbella-formed  Buccinum,  and 
greatly  resembles  his  B.  Idcteum  in  size  and  general  appearance,  but 
is  different  in  color,  wants  the  peculiar  spots,  and  is  not  toothed  within 
the  lip.  It  is  not  plaited  like  B.  pulchillum  and  B.  dermesloideum. 
Some  specimens  are  beautifully  tinted  with  rose-red,  but  others  are  of 
a  dingy-white,  or  tinged  only  around  the  apex.  In  one  specimen  there 
is  something  like  a  dark  band  just  above  the  suture,  and  emerging 
from  the  posterior  angle  of  the  aperture.  The  revolving  lines  are 
very  minute,  and  in  old  specimens  are  scarcely  discerned  on  the  spire. 
To  the  naked  eye,  the  shell  appears  smooth  and  shining. 

It  is  probable  that  both  this  species  and  the  next,  actually  belong  to 
the  genus  COLUMB£LLA. 

BU'CCINUM  LUNA'TUM. 

Shell  small-)  ovate-conic,  surface  smooth  ;  color  reddish-brown, 
with  two  series  of  crescent-shaped,  whitish  spots  ;  aperture  oval,  its 
outer  lip  dark-brown,  and  toothed  within. 

FIGURE   196. 
State  Coll.,  No.  7.      Soc.  Cab.,  No.  572. 

Nassa  lunata,  SAY  ;  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.,  v.  213. 
Buccinum  lunatum,  ADAMS  ;  Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  ii.  266. 

Shell  small,  ovate-conic  ;  whorls  six,  slightly  convex,  separated 
by  a  shallow  suture  ;  surface  altogether  smooth,  excepting  a  single 
revolving  line  below  the  suture,  and  a  few  around  the  base  ;  color 
reddish-brown  or  fawn-color,  with  two,  and  sometimes  three,  series 
of  crescent-shaped,  yellowish  spots  on  the  lower  whorl ;  the  light 
color  often  predominating  over  the  dark  ;  aperture  oval,  narrow, 
with  a  small  sinus  or  recess  at  the  posterior  angle,  and  ending  in 
a  very  short  canal  in  front  ;  outer  lip  simple,  and  dark  brown, 
toothed  along  its  inner  margin  ;  pillar  covered  with  brown  callus, 
the  outer  edge  of  which  is  somewhat  elevated.  Length  £  inch, 
breadth  T\  inch,  divergence  43°. 

Found  abundantly  to  the  south  of  Cape  Cod,  as  far  north  as 
Provincetown,  about  Martha's  Vineyard,  Nantucket,  and  Buzzard's 


COLUMELLARIA.  MOLLUSCA.  COLUMBELLA.         313 

Bay.  Professor  Adams  remarks,  that  they  are  found  associated, 
almost  without  exception,  with  Cerithium  Sayi,  but  much  less 
abundant.  In  spring  they  are  found  upon  the  surface  of  the  sand. 
Their  station,  however,  is  a  few  feet  below  low-water  mark, 
clinging  to  stones,  sea-weed,  and  other  shells. 

The  principal  variations  arise  from  the  greater  or  less  elongation  of 
the  spire,  and  from  the  different  proportions  of  the  brown  and  white 
coloring  ;  sometimes  the  shell  is  almost  entirely  brown,  and  at  others 
there  is  scarcely  enough  brown  to  define  the  crescentic  spots.  This 
belongs  also  to  the  Columbella-formed  Buccina. 

Mr.  Say  describes  the  animal  as  follows  ;  "  pale- whitish,  foot  linear, 
nearly  as  long  as  the  shell,  acute  behind,  hardly  larger  than  the  respi- 
ratory trunk,  truncate  before  ;  trunk  more  than  half  as  long  as  the 
shell,  obtuse  at  tip,  with  a  brown  annulation  near  the  tip,  and  another 
near  the  base  ;  tentacula  short,  cylindrical,  annulate  with  blackish  on 
the  middle  ;  eyes  black,  placed  on  the  base  of  the  tentacula." 

This  will  most  likely  prove  to  be  a  COLUMBELLA. 
• 

FAMILY   COLUMELLARM,  LAM. 

JYb  canal  at  the  base  of  the  aperture,  but  a  more  or  less  distinct  notch ; 
pillar  plaited. 

GENUS   COLUMBELLA,  LAM. 

Shell  oval,  spire  short,  pillar  plaited ;  outer  lip  thickened  inter- 
nally, narrowing  the  aperture. 

COLUMBE'LLA  AVARA. 

Shell  small,  elongated-ovate,  pointed,  of  various  shades  of  brown 
reticulated  with  white,  with  numerous  smooth  ribs  lengthwise,  and 
revolving  lines  between  them. 

FIGURE    197. 
State  Coll.,  No.  1.     Soc.  Cab.,  No.  673. 

Columbella  avara,  SAY  ;  Journ.  Acad,.  Nat.  Sc.,  ii.  230.     ADAMS  ;  Bost.  Journ. 
Wat.  Hist.,  ii.  363. 

Shell  small,  ovate-conic,   elevated,   strong,   of  a  light  straw- 
color,  finely  reticulated  or  blotched  with  various  shades  6f  reddish- 
40 


314  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

brown  ;  surface  covered  with  equal  and  regular  revolving  lines, 
interrupted  by  as  many  as  fifteen  smooth,  obtuse  folds  or  ribs 
running  lengthwise  of  the  shell  ;  and  as  the  folds  extend  only  half 
the  length  of  the  lowest  whorl,  the  remaining  half  is  marked  by 
the  revolving  lines  only  ;  whorls  six,  nearly  flat,  forming  an 
elevated,  pointed  spire  ;  suture  distinct,  and  somewhat  scolloped 
by  the  folds  ;  aperture  narrow-oval,  about  one  third  the  length  of 
the  shell ;  very  little  contracted  by  the  thickening  of  the  middle 
of  the  outer  lip  ;  this  lip  is  simple,  somewhat  thickened  externally, 
and  having  a  series  of  lengthened  teeth  just  within  the  margin  ; 
inner  lip  invested  with  a  plate  of  callus,  which  is  also  toothed  in 
a  similar  manner,  in  mature  shells  ;  operculum  horny.  Length  f 
inch,  breadth  J  inch,  divergence  33°. 

Sent  me  from  Martha's  Vineyard  by  Dr.  L.  M.  Yale.  Pro- 
fessor Adams  says  it  is  common  at  New  Bedford  and  vicinity, 
also  at  Falmouth  and  Nantucket.  Cape  Cod,  however,  seems  to 
be  its  northern  limit,  though  a  solitary,  worn  specimen  is  oc- 
casionally found  within  the  Capes.  It  lives  below  low-water  mark. 
It'  is  abundant  on  the  shores  of  the  Southern  States. 

Mr.  Say  referred  this  shell,  somewhat  doubtfully,  to  the  genus 
COLUMBELLA  ;  and  as  it  still  remains  equivocal  between  COLUMBELLA 
and  BUCCINITM,  it  is  best  to  let  it  remain  where  he  placed  it.  It  varies 
much  in  its  length  and  coloring,  being  in  general  longer  than  described 
by  Say.  It  is  usually  covered  with  a  dirty -brownish  pigment.  The 
middle  of  the  last  whorl  is  frequently  angular,  especially  in  immature 
shells  ;  in  these  too,  and,  indeed,  in  a  majority  of  the  shells  I  have 
seen,  the  denticulations  of  the  aperture  are  wanting.  There  is,  how- 
ever, no  other  shell  resembling  it  on  our  coast,  and  it  is  easily  recog- 
nised. 


This  concludes  the  account  of  the  Testacea.  I  have  endeav- 
oured to  describe  them  fully  and  definitely,  and  to  arrange  them  as 
nearly  in  accordance  with  the  present  state  of  science  as  my 
means  of  information  would  enable  me  to  do. 


MOLLUSCA.  315 

RECAPITULATION.  We  find  that  there  are,  in  all,  268  species* 
of  which  there  are  of  CIRRI'PEDES  12,  CONCHI'FERA  (bivalve) 
97,  BRACHIO'PODA  2,  GASTERO'PODA  (mostly  univalves)  154. 
Of  these,  29  belong  to  the  land,  42  to  fresh  water,  and  197  are 
marine. 

The  numerous  discoveries  which  have  been  made  in  this 
branch  of  our  zoology,  are  not  a  little  surprising,  and  indicate  the 
zeal  with  which  the  subject  has  been  investigated.  The  catalogue 
of  shells  in  Professor  Hitchcock's  Report,  of  1833,  contained 
126  species  ;  and  that  of  1835,  which  was  made  out  with  great 
care,  contained  165  species.  Of  course,  there  are  now  added  to 
the  second  catalogue  J03  species,  and  to  the  first  142  species. 
Of  these,  70  have  been  discovered  and  described  within  the  last 
five  years.  In  some  genera  the  accessions  have  been  remarkable. 
Margarita,  Pleurotoma,  Cerhhium,  Bulla,  and  Nucula  may  be 
specially  mentioned. 

GEOGRAPHICAL  DISTRIBUTION.  The  geographical  distribu- 
tion of  shells  is  a  subject  of  increasing  interest,  and  of  some  prac- 
tical importance  from  its  bearing  on  Geology.  In  this  State  we 
have  a  remarkable  instance  of  geographical  limitation,  and  should 
not  pass  it  without  notice. 

The  land  and  fresh-water  univalves  are  all  distributed  over 
every  part  of  the  territory,  with  the  exceptions  of  Helix  hortensis, 
which  is  as  yet  confined  to  some  parts  of  the  sea-coast,  and  Helix 
tridentata,  hirsiita,  and  monodon,  which  are  found  only  in  the  in- 
terior and  western  portions.  Of  the  fresh-water  mussels  we  find 
U.  complanatus,  radiatus,  and  probably  nasutus,  in  every  region  ; 
U.  cariosus  is  only  found  in  the  Connecticut  and  its  tributaries, 
and  in  Plymouth  ponds  ;  Jlnodon  cataracta  and  Jllasm.  arcudta 
and  marginata  are  found  everywhere  in  the  interior,  while  Jl'no- 
don  implicata  is  perhaps  entirely  limited,  in  this  State,  to  ponds 
in  Essex  and  Middlesex,  and  Jlnodon  undulata  to  Blackstone 
river  and  its  branches. 

The  distribution  of  the  marine  shells  is  well  worthy  of  notice  as 
a  geological  fact.  Cape  Cod,  the  right  arm  of  the  Common- 
wealth, reaches  out  into  the  ocean,  some  50  or  60  miles.  It  is 


316    INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

nowhere  many  miles  wide  ;  but  this  narrow  point  of  land  has  hith- 
erto proved  a  barrier  to  the  migrations  of  many  species  of  Mol- 
lusca.  Several  genera  and  numerous  species,  which  are  separated 
by  the  intervention  of  only  a  few  miles  of  land,  are  effectually 
prevented  from  intermingling  by  the  Cape,  and  do  not  pass  from 
one  side  to  the  other.  No  specimen  of  Cochlodesma,  Montacuta, 
Cumingia,  Corbula,  Janthina,  Tornatella,  Vermetus,  Columbella, 
Cerithium,  Py'rula,  or  Ranella,  has  as  yet  been  found  to  the 
north  of  Cape  Cod  ;  while  Panopsa,  Glycy'meris,  Terebratula, 
Cemoria,  Trichotropis,  Rostellaria,  Cancellaria,  and  probably 
Cyprina  and  Cardita,  do  not  seem  to  have  passed  to  the  south  of 
it.  Of  the  197  marine  species,  83  do  not  pass  to  the  south  shore, 
and  50  are  not  found  on  the  north  shore  of  the  Cape.  The  re- 
maining 64  take  a  wider  range,  and  are  found  on  both  sides. 
Buzzard's  Bay  and  the  south  shore  have  as  yet  been  very  little 
explored  ;  and  we  may  yet  expect  to  find  many  species  peculiar 
to  those  localities. 

At  least  70  of  our  species  are  also  found  on  the  transatlantic 
shores  ;  and  more  than  20  of  these  have  been  described,  by  dif- 
ferent American  conchologists,  as  new  species.  About  20  may 
be  regarded  as  intermediate,  being  found  most  frequently  by  fish- 
ermen about  the  Banks,  Newfoundland,  and  the  islands  interven- 
ing between  Greenland  and  England. 


MOLLUSCA,  317 


I  WILL  now  proceed  to  the  other  classes  of  Invertebrata  which 
remain  to  me.  I  shall  not  attempt  any  definite  order  in  arrange- 
ment, nor  pretend  to  any  thing  like  completeness,  or  authority  in 
the  details.  I  shall  present  the  objects  in  natural  groups,  giving 
their  nomenclature  according  to  the  latest  authorities,  with  such 
remarks  upon  some  of  them  as  have  been  suggested  to  me  from 
books,  from  correspondents,  and  from  personal  observation. 

And  first,  we  have  remaining  other  classes  of  Mollusca,  none 
of  which,  hitherto  found,  with  a  single  exception,  form  shells. 


CLASS  CEPHALOPODA,  CUVIER. 

The  body  of  these  animals  is  composed  of  a  muscular  sac,  en- 
closing the  viscera,  having  the  mouth  at  one  end,  which  is  sur- 
rounded by  long  fleshy  arms,  of  various  shapes.  Along  these 
arms,  at  intervals,  are  little  cups,  by  which  the  animal  is  capable 
of  adhering,  with  great  tenacity.  With  them  it  seizes  its  prey. 
It  also  uses  them  in  crawling  from  place  to  place,  or  as  oars  to 
propel  itself. 

SpfRULA  PERO'NH,  LAM.  Nautilus  spirula,  LIN.,  BLAINV.  ;  Mala- 
col,  pi.  4,  f.  1.  Encyc.  Mtth.,  465,  f.  5. 

This  is  the  only  species  of  the  genus  known.  It  inhabits  the 
open  sea,  and  is  sometimes  found,  after  storms,  upon  the  shores  of 
Nantucket.  The  shell  is  white  and  pearly,  coiled  up  in  two  or 
three  turns  which  do  not  touch  each  other,  something  like  a  ram's 
horn.  The  surface  exhibits  constrictions,  at  short  intervals,  each 
of  which  corresponds  to  an  internal  partition,  so  that  the  whole 
shell  is  divided  off  into  chambers,  having  a  tube,  however,  at  one 
side,  so  that  the  whole  are  in  communication. 

Of  the  very  curious  and  minute  Nautilacea,  so  many  of  which 
have  been  found  about  the  British  Islands,  there  are  doubtless 
many  among  the  sands  of  our  shores  ;  but  none  have  as  yet  been 
detected. 


318    INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

LOLIVGO  ILLECEBRO'SA,  LESUEUR;  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.,  ii.  95,  with 
figures.  "; 

The  Squid.  This  beautiful  animal  is  occasionally  seen  on  all 
parts  of  the  shore  of  Massachusetts.  But  it  is  especially  abun- 
dant about  sandy  shores,  as  at  Cape  Cod.  At  Provincetown  I 
have  seen  them  stranded  upon  the  beach  at  low  tide,  in  great  mul- 
titudes. Their  usual  mode  of  swimming  is  by  dilating  their  sac- 
shaped  body  and  filling  it  with  water.  The  body  is  then  suddenly 
contracted  and  the  water  forcibly  ejected,  so  as  to  propel  them 
backwards,  with  great  rapidity.  So  swift  and  straight  is  their  pro- 
gress, that  they  look  like  arrows  shooting  through  the  water. 
Whenever  they  strike  the  shore,  they  commence  pumping  the 
water  with  increased  violence,  while  every  effort  only  tends  to 
throw  them  still  further  upon  the  sand,  until  they  are  left  high  and 
dry.  The  body  is  beautifully  spotted  with  colors  which  seem  to 
vary  with  the  emotions  of  the  animal.  At  one  moment  they  are 
a  vivid  red,  at  the  next  a  deep  blue,  violet,  brown,  or  orange. 
They  devour  immense  numbers  of  small  fish,  and  it  is  amusing  to 
watch  their  movements  and  see  how,  at  a  distance  of  several  feet, 
they  will  poise  themselves,  and  in  an  instant,  with  the  rapidity  of 
lightning,  the  prey  is  seized  in  their  long  arms  and  instantaneously 
swallowed.  They,  in  their  turn,  are  devoured  by  the  larger 
fishes,  and  are  extensively  used  for  bait  in  the  cod  fishery. 

They  have  a  single  bone,  if  it  may  be  so  called,  running  the 
whole  length  of  the  body.  It  is  composed  of  a  flexible,  elastic 
substance  resembling  mica,  and,  in  this  species,  its  form  is  like 
the  double  paddle  of  the  Greenlander,  only  it  is  very  slender. 


CLASS  TUNICATA,  CUVIER. 

The  animals  belonging  to  this  class  were  included  by  Lamarck 
among  the  Radiata,  which  are  of  a  very  different  organization. 
They  are  marine  animals,  of  a  gelatinous  or  muscular  structure, 
generally  in  the  form  of  sacs  with  one  or  two  openings.  Most  of 


.£  MOLLUSCA.  319 

them  are  minute,  and  although  they  are  numerous,  few  of  those  in 
our  seas  have  been  observed,  and  very  few  have  been  satisfacto- 
rily made  out.  The  largest,  and  t{ie  only  ones  of  much  magnitude, 
are  the  two  following  : 

Asci'DIA  RU'STICA,  LIN.;  Encyc.  Mtth.,  pi.  62,  f.  7-9.  LAM.;  Jin. 
sans  Vert.,  iii.  528. 

It  is  found  of  all  sizes,  from  that  of  a  pea  to  that  of  an  olive, 
adhering  in  clusters  to  floating  timbers,  to  stones,  corals,  &c.  It 
may  always  be  found  in  abundance  on  the  under  side  of  logs  in 
the  timber-docks  about  Boston.  It  is  usually  of  a  globular  form, 
but  more  or  less  irregular  in  shape  and  in  the  degree  of  smooth- 
ness of  its  surface,  and  in  substance  is  much  like  crude  india- 
rubber.  It  is  usually  invested  with  plants  or  particles  of  earth ; 
but,  when  clean,  it  is  rust-colored.  It  has  two  small  orifices,  near 
each  other,  through  which  a  jet  of  water  is  projected,  whenever 
a  touch  induces  the  animal  to  contract.  I  am  not  aware  that  it  is 
in  any  way  injurious  to  man. 

BoLTE^NIA  RENIFo'RMIS,  MAC  LEAY;  Lin.  Trans,  xiv.  536,  pi.  18. 
Ascidia  globifera,  SABINE  ;  Append,  to  Parry's  Voy.  No.  10.  Ascidia  clavata,  FABR.  ; 
Fauna  Grant.,  333.  LAM.  ;  Jin.  sans  Vert.,  iii.  539. 

This  is  a  most  curious  object,  and  greatly  resembles  in  shape 
the  flower  of  Ladies-slipper  (Cypripedium)  on  its  stalk.  It  has 
a  kidney-shaped  body,  of  a  wrinkled,  leathery  structure,  about 
two  inches  long  and  one  in  width,  suddenly  narrowing  at  the  top 
into  a  small  stalk  not  larger  than  a  crow-quill,  and  from  six  to 
twelve  inches  in  length.  It  has  two  cross-shaped  orifices,  nearly 
an  inch  apart.  It  is  attached  by  its  stalk  to  stones  in  deep  water, 
whence  it  is  occasionally  hooked  up  by  the  fishermen,  or  driven 
on  shore  by  storms.  Its  surface  is  usually  loaded  with  marine 
plants,  zoophytes,  &c. 

The  other  animals  of  this  class  are  mostly  minute,  living  in 
communities,  and  incrusting  stones,  marine  plants,  &c.,  with  a 
gelatinous  substance  which  affords  them  a  common  residence. 
Such  are  the  various  species  of  Aplidium,  Polyclinum,  and  Bo- 


320  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

tryllus.  In  the  bathing-house  at  Craigie's  Bridge,  I  have  seen 
one  species  of  the  latter  §enus,  in  abundance.  I  suppose  it 
to  be 

BOTRY'LLUS  STELLA^TUS,  PALLAS;  SpicU.  Zooi.  x.  37,  pi.  4,  f.  1-5. 

Encyc.  Meth.,  No.  1 .     LAM.  ;  An.  sans  Vert.,  iii.  506. 

It  forms  over  the  timbers  and  sea-weed  a  semi-transparent,  ge- 
latinous crust,  studded  at  short  intervals  with  minute  stars.  Each 
ray  of  these  stars  is  a  separate  animal,  with  its  head  at  the  circum- 
ference and  its  tail  descending  into  the  jelly  at  the  centre. 


CRUSTACEA. 

UNDER  this  appellation  are  arranged  animals  which  have  articu- 
lated limbs,  and  are  covered  by  an  external  crust.  This  crust  is 
earthy  and  brittle,  and  not  stony  like  the  shells  of  Mollusca.  A 
crab  or  a  lobster  will  convey  to  the  mind  a  general  idea  of  the 
characteristics  of  this  class.  The  Crustacea  inhabit  both  land  and 
water.  Some  of  them  are  of  considerable  size,  but  the  great 
majority  are  very  minute  ;  and  the  ocean  literally  swarms  with 
myriads  which  are  too  small  to  be  noticed  by  the  naked  eye.  A 
single  cup  of  sea-water,  taken  at  random,  will  always  be  found  to 
contain  some  of  them.  All  of  them  live  upon  decaying  substances, 
either  animal  or  vegetable.  They  are  naturally  repulsive  in  their 
appearance,  though  many  of  them  are  beautifully  ornamented  with 
colors.  Yet  they  are  highly  serviceable  to  man,  both  for  the  food 
they  afford  him,  and  for  the  purity  of  the  pool,  the  shore,  and  the 
sea,  which  it  is  their  province  to  promote.  They  are  all  edible 
and  palatable,  even  to  man ;  but  to  fishes  they  are  a  welcome  as 
well  as  an  inexhaustible  source  of  nutriment.  The  cod  and  had- 
dock devour  great  numbers  of  crabs,  and  even  the  Greenland  whale 
is  said  to  subsist  mainly  upon  the  minute  Crustacea  and  accompa- 
nying Radiata. 

Crustacea  are  distributed  into  Orders,  according  to  the  arrange- 
ment and  number  of  the  legs. 


DECAPODA. 

Those  which  have  five  pairs  of  legs. 

GENUS  CARCINUS,  LEACH. 

C.  M^ENAS,  LIN.     Carapax  granulate,  with  five  lateral  teeth', 
front  three  lobed. 

41 


322  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

Cancer  Maenas,  LIN.;  Syst.  JVaf.  xii.  1043.     PENNANT  ;  Brit.  Zool.,  iv.  pi.  2,  f.  5. 

HERBST;   Cancr.,  pi.  7,  f.  46.     LATR.  ;  Encyc.,  pi.  273,  f.  1.     LAM.  ;  An.  sans 

Vert.,  v.  494.    Bosc  ;  Crwsf . ,  i.  202. 
Carcinus  Mamas,  LEACH  ;  Malac.  Podoph.  Brit.,  pi.  5.     MILNE-£DW.  ;  Hist,  des 

Crusty  i.  434. 
Cancer  granulatus,  SAY  ;  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.}  i.  61. 

This  crab  is  characterized  by  the  five  acute  teeth  on  each  side, 
and  its  three-lobed  front.  Its  surface  is  not  raised  into  promi- 
nences, but  granulated  merely.  It  is  of  a  sea-green  color.  The 
wrist  has  a  single  spine  inside.  Length  an  inch  and  a  half  or  two 
inches  ;  breadth  a  little  more. 

Sent  by  Dr.  Yale  from  Martha's  Vineyard. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  that  our  crab  is  identical  with  the  Euro- 
pean species,  as  an  interchange  of  specimens  has  shown.  It  is 
employed  for  food  in  Europe,  but  not  in  this  country. 

GENUS   CANCER,  LIN. 

C.  IRRORA'TUS.  Carapax  with  nine  crenate  teeth  on  each  side  ; 
front  three  toothed ;  hands  with  four  or  five  elevated  lines  on  the 
external  side. 

C.  irroratus,  SAY  ;  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.,  i.  59,  (in  part.)     BELL  ;    Trans.  Zool. 
Soc.  Land.,  i.  340,  pi.  46. 

Carapax  transversely  oblong-oval,  slightly  angular  at  the  sides  ; 
regions  slightly  marked  ;  surface  covered  with  minute,  raised  gran- 
ulations. Margin,  each  side,  slightly  divided  into  nine  quadrangu- 
lar lobes,  the  lines  of  division  extending  far  inwards,  and  the  pos- 
terior one  having  an  indentation  at  base  so  as  to  form  almost  a 
tenth  tooth  ;  each  lobe  is  minutely  denticulated,  one  or  two  of  the 
denticles  being  larger  than  the  rest.  Middle  tooth  of  the  front 
longer  than  the  others,  and  depressed.  Orbits  circular,  with  a 
tooth  over  the  inner  angle  and  two  fissures  over  the  centre,  and 
beneath.  Abdomen  and  sternum  slightly  fringed  with  hair.  Limbs 
short,  fringed  beneath,  the  nails  tipped  with  black.  Carpus 
marked  with  granulated  lines,  and  having  a  sharp  spine  at  its  inner 
angle.  Hands  rather  large,  smooth  on  the  inner  face,  with  den- 
ticulated lines  above,  and  having  four  or  five  granulated  lines  on 
the  outside,  two  of  which  are  continued  upon  the  finger,  which  is 
somewhat  deflexed,  and,  with  the  thumb,  is  slaty-black  at  tip. 


DECAPODA.  CRUSTACEA.  CANCER.     323 

The  color  is  yellowish  beneath,  and  brick-red  above.     The  , 
limbs  are  mottled  and  reticulated  with  these  two  colors,  mixed 
with  purplish  ;  and  on  the  back  are  two  curved  ranges  of  yellow- 
ish spots,  and  a  figure,  behind  the  middle,  somewhat  resembling 
the  letter  H.     Length  2J  inches  ;  breadth  3|  inches. 

I  have  been  particular  to  give  a  full  description  of  this  species, 
because  two  species  have  hitherto  been  confounded  under,  this 
name,  both  by  Mr.  Say  and  Mr.  Bell,  under  the  supposition  that 
one  was  the  male  and  the  other  the  female.  But  as  I  have  males 
for  both  this  and  the  next  species,  and  females  which  do  not  ma- 
terially differ  from  the  males,  there  can  be  no  mistake  on  this 
ground.  They  are  constantly  distinct.  It  is  probable  that  Mr. 
Say  drew  his  description  principally  from  individuals  of  the  next 
species,  to  which  his  figure  corresponds.  But  as  Mr.  Bell  has 
figured  this,  so  beautifully,  as  C.  irroratus,  it  must  retain  the  name 
allowed  it  by  both  authors.  Dr.  Binney,  as  well  as  myself,  per- 
ceived the  differences  several  years  ago  ;  and  he  had  a  drawing  of 
this  species  made  from  life. 

It  is  caught  in  deep  water,  and  is  not  so  common  as  the  next 
species.  It  sometimes  becomes  very  large,  and  a  specimen  in 
the  cabinet  of  the  Boston  Society  of  Natural  History  measures 
3  inches  in  length,  and  4|  in  breadth.  It  is  brought  to  market 
for  food. 

C.  SAYI,  GOULD.  Carapax  transversely  oval,  with  nine  simple 
teeth  each  side ;  front  three  toothed ;  surface  dotted  with  reddish- 
brown  ;  hands  with  four  or  five  elevated  lines  on  the  outside. 

C.  irroratus,  SAY  ;   Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.,  i.  59,  (in  part,)  pi.  4,  f.  2. 

Resembles  the  preceding  species  in  general,  but  differs  in  the 
following  particulars.  The  form  of  the  carapax  is  less  oval,  being 
prolonged  into  angles  at  the  sides  ;  it  is  also  less  convex.  The 
surface  is  not  conspicuously  granulated,  but  smooth  ;  its  ground 
color  yellow,  and  closely  dotted  with  dark  purplish-brown,  which 
becomes  reddish-brown  after  death.  The  teeth  have  not  their 
margins  denticulated,  but  simple  ;  they  are  more  pointed  and  pro- 
longed, especially  the  hinder  ones.  The  limbs  are  at  least  a 
fourth  longer  in  proportion,  the  thighs  of  the  second  and  third  pairs, 


324   INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

in  C.  irrordtus,  not  attaining  the  margin  of  the  carapax,  whereas  in 
C.  Sayi  they  greatly  surpass  it.  The  hands  are  decidedly  smaller, 
and  while  they  present  the  same  lines  on  the  external  face,  these 
lines  are  not  conspicuously  granulated,  much  less  are  any  of  them 
denticulated  ;  the  finger  and  thumb  are  scarcely,  if  at  all,  slate 
colored.  The  dark-brown  color  of  the  markings  is  maintained 
upon  the  limbs,  or  is  rather  a  bright  rose-red  at  the  bend  of  the 
wrist  and  along  the  inner  face  of  the  hand  ;  and  the  series  of  yellow 
spots  upon  the  back  are  much  the  same.  The  abdominal  seg- 
ments of  the  male  are  broader. 

Length  2|  inches  ;  breadth  4  inches. 

The  differences  above  mentioned  are  certainly  not  sexual ;  and 
it  seems  very  improbable  that  they  can  be  the  effects  of  age. 

It  is  common  about  the  rocky  shores  of  our  islands,  of  Cape 
Ann,  Nahant,  &c.  It  is  brought  to  market  for  food  in  consider- 
able numbers. 

GENUS  PLATYONICHUS,   LATH. 

P.  OCELLA'TUS.  Carapax  with  five  prominent,  acute  teeth  each 
side  ;  front  one  toothed  ;  wrist  two  spined,  and  one  on  the  anterior 
angle  of  the  hand  above ;  last  joint  of  the  hind  feet  rounded  at  tip. 

Cancer  ocellatus,  HERBST;  Cancr,,  pi.  49,  f.  4. 

Platyonichus  ocellatus,  LATH.  ;   Encyc.,  xvi.  162.    MILNE-EDW.  ;  Hist.  Nat.  des 

Crust.,  i.  437. 
Portunus  pictus,  SAY  ;  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.,  i.  62,  pi.  4,  f.  4. 

This  is  usually  called  the  Sand- Crab,  and  is  a  beautiful  species. 
The  number  of  teeth  at  the  sides,  with  the  flattened  hinder  feet, 
are  its  obvious  distinctive  marks.  It  is  not  often  seen  near  Bos- 
ton, but  is  more  common  in  more  open  seas.  I  have  not  seen 
the  figure  of  Herbst,  but  rely  on  the  authority  of  Latreille  and 
Milne-Edwards. 

GENUS  LUPA,  LATH. 

L.  DICA'NTHA.  Carapax  transverse,  with  nine  sharp  teeth  on 
each  side,  the  last  one  very  long ;  front  three  toothed  ;  arms  three 
spined  ;  posterior  feet  flattened. 

Crabe  de  1'Ocean,  DEGEER  ;  Hist,  des  Insectes,  vii.  tab.  26,  f.  8-11. 
Portunus  pelagicus,  Bosc ;  Crust.,  i.  22,  pi.  5.  f.  3. 


DECAPODA.  CRUSTACEA.          GELASIMUS.     325 

Portunus  hastatus,  FABR.;  Suppl.  Entom.  Syst.,  367. 
Lupa  hastata,  SAY  ;  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.,  i.  65. 
Portunus  dicanthus,  LATR.  ;  Encyc.,  x.  190. 
Lupa  dicantha,  MILNE-EDW.  ;  Hist.  Nat.  des  Crust.,  i.  451. 

This  is  the  crab  which  is  most  sought  after  for  food.  It  is 
well  known  throughout  the  Atlantic  States  as  "  the  Crab."  It  is 
seldom  seen  in  Boston  market,  however,  and  is  rarely  found  in 
Massachusetts  Bay.  About  the  Vineyard  it  is  more  abundant ;  and 
in  the  Chesapeake  and  Delaware  Bays  it  is  very  abundant.  It  is 
easily  recognised  by  its  flattened  feet  and  the  long  teeth,  which 
project  at  the  sides  like  spines.  Its  color  is  green,  and  its  limbs 
are  very  long,  the  hands  having  a  beautiful  violet  color,  on  which 
account  it  is  sometimes  called  the  u  violet  crab." 

The  Cancer  hastatus  of  Linnaeus  is  a  still  different  species  of 
Lupa ;  so  that  the  specific  name  of  Fabricius,  adopted  by  Mr. 
Say,  must  not  be  applied  to  this  species.  It  is  still  very  doubtful 
whether  this  is  any  thing  more  than  a  local  variety  of  L.  pelagica, 
though  Milne-Edwards  speaks  of  the  remarkable  form  of  the  tail 
of  the  male,  in  this  species,  like  the  letter  T  ;  and  he  would 
certainly  have  known  if  the  L.  pelagicus  had  a  similar  one. 

GENUS  GELASIMUS,  DESM. 

G.  VOCANS.  Carapax  transversely  quadrate,  smooth,  a  little 
narrowed  behind ;  one  of  the  hands  in  the  male  very  small,  the 
other  very  large. 

Cancer  vocans,  LIN.  (in  part)    FABR.  ;  Suppl.,  340. 

Ocy'pode  pugilator,  Bosc  ;  Crust.,  i.  198.     SAY  ;  Journ.  Jlcad.  Nat.  Sc.,  i.  71. 

Ocy'pode  vocaris,  LATR.;  Hist.  Nat.,  fy-c.,  vi.  45.  DEGEER;  Hist,  des  Insectes,  vii. 

pi.  26,  f.  12. 

Gonoplax  vocans,  LAM.  ;  An.  sans  Vert.,  v.  465. 
Gelasimus  vocans,  DESM.  ;  Consid.,fyc.,  123.  MILNE-EDW.;  Hist,  des  Crust.,  ii.54. 

This  is  a  small  crab,  found  abundantly  on  bay  shores  and  salt 
marshes  in  the  southerly  part  of  the  State,  and  on  the  large  islands 
adjacent.  It  is  well  distinguished  by  its  large  claw,  which  is 
sometimes  on  the  right  side  and  sometimes  on  the  left,  and  has 
gained  for  it  the  name  of  the  "Fiddler  Crab."  They  some- 
times do  damage  by  the  holes  they  dig  along  the  shore,  and  into 
which  they  retreat  on  the  least  alarm. 


326    INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 


GENUS   PILUMNUS,  LEACH. 

PILUMNUS  HARRISII,  GOULD.  Carapax  having  three  teeth 
on  each  side  ;  front  bilobate  ;  hands  smooth. 

Carapax  quadrilateral,  narrowed  backwards,  rounded  before, 
rectilinear  behind  and  at  sides.  On  each  side  are  three  triangular 
teeth  ;  eyes  distant ;  orbits  oval,  with  a  fissure  over  the  centre  ; 
front  divided  by  a  fissure  into  two  lobes.  Surface  very  minutely 
granulated,  and  hispid  with  very  short,  scattered  hairs,  which  en- 
tangle the  dirt ;  there  are  three  or  four  broken  series  of  curved, 
transverse  lines  or  ridges,  rising  into  little  crests.  Limbs  slender, 
cylindrical.  Carpus  with  a  projecting  angle  in  front.  Hands  ro- 
bust, smooth,  white  within  and  without,  and  with  a  double  line 
along  the  upper  edge  ;  finger  deflexed  and  furrowed  ;  thumb  also 
furrowed  and  deflexed.  The  hands  are  generally  unequal,  and 
the  smaller  one  sometimes  has  elevated  lines  on  its  outer  face. 
Length  T47  inch  ;  breadth  half  an  inch. 

First  found  by  Dr.  T.  W.  Harris,  on  the  Cambridge  marshes  ; 
and  not  unfrequently  seen,  in  summer,  clinging  to  floating  sea- 
weed in  Charles  River. 

The  sculpture  of  its  margin  and  front,  and  the  form  and  smooth- 
ness of  the  hands,  forbid  the  idea  of  its  being  the  young  of  any 
of  our  larger  crabs. 

GENUS  HYAS,  LEACH. 

H.  COARCTATA.  Carapax  ovate,  warty  and  hairy,  narrowed 
at  the  anterior  third ;  rostrum  depressed,  divided  by  a  profound 
fissure  ;  limbs  short  and  small. 

Hyas  coarclAta,  LEACH;  Malac.  Podoph.  Brit.,  pi.  21  B.     MILNE-£DW.;    Hist. 

Nat.  des  Crust.,  i.  312,     DESM.;  Consid.,  148. 
Lissa  fissirostra.  SAY  ;  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.,  i.  79. 

This  crab  is  an  inhabitant  of  deep  water,  and  is  a  favorite  food 
of  the  cod-fish,  being  very  frequently  found  in  its  maw.  I  have 
seen  its  exuviae  in  great  quantities  upon  the  outside  of  Cape  Cod. 
It  is  about  two  inches  in  length  and  somewhat  less  in  breath,  the 
front  projecting  and  divided  by  a  fissure  ;  there  is  a  notch  a  little 


DECAPODA.  CRUSTACEA.  LITHODES.     327 

behind  the  head  each  side.  The  surface  is  warty  and  beset  with 
short,  stiff,  hooked  hairs  which  entangle  sand  and  portions  of  sea- 
weed. 

GENUS   LITHODES,  LATH. 

L.  A'RCTICA.  Carapax  heart-shaped,  spiny,  rostrum  bifurcat- 
ed ;  hands  small,  unequal ;  limbs  hairy. 

Cancer  raaja,  LIN.  ;  Syst.  Nat,,  i.  1046.    HERBST  j  Cancr.,  i.  219,  tab.  15,  f.  87. 

Cancer  horridus,  PENNANT  ;  Brit.  ZooL,  iv.  7,  pi.  7,  f.  14. 

Tnachus  maja,  FABR.  ;  Suppl.  Entom.  Syst.,  358. 

Parthenope  maia,  FABR.  ;  ibid.,  354. 

Lithodes  raaja,  LEACH  ;  Zool.  Misc.,  i.  107.     Malacol.  Podoph.  Brit.,  tab.  24. 

Lithodes  arctica,  LATR.  ;   Genera,  i.  40.     DESM.  ;  Consid.,  160,  pi.  25.     GUERIN  ; 

Iconog.  du  Rbgne  Jlnim.,  pi.  12,  f.  1.     MILNE-EDW.  ;  Hist.  Nat.  des  Crust.,  ii. 

186.     LAM.  ;  Jin.  sans  Vert.,  v.  433.     Griffith's  Cuvier,  Crustacea,  pi.  1,  f.  1. 

A  specimen  of  this  fine  crab  was  obtained  from  the  stomach  of 
a  cod-fish  by  Dr.  Prescott,  of  Lynn,  during  the  autumn  of  1839. 
It  is  believed  to  be  the  only  specimen  which  has  come  into  the 
hands  of  naturalists  in  North  America.  It  is  found  rarely  about 
the  shores  of  Great  Britain,  and  more  abundantly  about  the  shores 
of  Norway,  which  seems  to  be  its  proper  habitat.  There  it  is 
well  known,  and  many  superstitious  notions  have  been  connected 
with  its  history. 

This  thorny  and  rugged,  but  beautiful  crab  is  easily  distinguished 
from  our  common  Spider-crab  by  its  more  heart-shaped  body,  its 
long  beak,  branching  at  tip,  and  by  the  hinder  pair  of  legs  being 
imperfect.  The  tail  also  is  very  large  and  very  peculiar.  The 
carapax  is  about  four  inches  long,  and  the  spread  of  the  legs  a 
foot  or  more. 

GENUS  LIBINIA,  LEACH. 

L.  CANALICULA'TA.  "  Thorax  densely  hairy,  with  about  seven 
lateral  spines,  and  a  few  usually  shorter  ones  on  the  back  ;  rostrum 
emarginate  at  tip,  channelled  between  the  eyes  ;  anterior  feet  un- 
armed, granulated;  hands  elongated  ;  fingers  white  at  tip."  Say. 

Libinia  canaliculata,  SAY  ;  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.,  i.  77/pl.  4,  f.  1.  MILNE-EDW.  j 
Hist.  Nat.  des  Crust.,  i.  300.  Mas  du  Rbgne  An.,  pi.  33,  f.  1.  LAM.  j  An.  sans 
Vert.,  v.  423. 


328  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

This  is  vulgarly  called  the  Sea-spider  or  Spider-crab,  on  ac- 
count of  its  small  body  and  long  legs.  It  is  often  caught  in  fishing 
for  flounders  from  the  bridges  about  Boston.  I  am  not  aware 
that  it  is  used  for  food.  The  body  is  somewhat  heart-shaped,  and 
may  be  four  inches  in  diameter,  while  the  legs  of  the  female  will 
span  four  times  that  extent. 

GENUS   PINNOTHERES,  LATR. 

P.  O'STREUM.  "  Thorax  rounded  before,  on  each  side,  some- 
what truncate  behind  ;  clypeus  a  little  advanced,  entire  ;  hand  gib- 
bous above,  near  the  base  of  the  thumb."  Say. 

Pinnotheres  ostreum,  SAY  ;  Journ.  Jlcad.  Nat.  Sc.}  i.  67,  pi.  4,  f.  5.    MILNE-EDW.  ; 
Hist.  Nat.  des  Crust.,  ii.  33. 

This  little  crab  is  of  a  rounded  form,  about  the  size  of  a  dime, 
and  is  very  curious  in  its  habits.  It  is  not  protected  by  a  hard 
crust,  and  in  order  to  supply  the  want  of  it,  the  crab  lives  among 
the  oysters,  and  becomes  a  guest  within  the  walls  of  their  shells  ; 
whether  a  bidden  and  a  welcome  one  or  not,  we  have  it  not  in  our 
power  to  say.  The  crab,  however,  seems  not  to  molest  the  oys- 
ter, and  is  even  said  to  act  as  a  monitor,  to  inform  it  when  to  close 
its  shell,  so  as  to  entrap  the  food  on  which  they  may  both  subsist. 
They  live  peaceably  together,  are  captured  together,  served  up 
for  the  table  together,  and  are  scarcely  to  be  distinguished  from 
each  other  in  the  eating. 

GENUS  HIPPA,  LATR. 

H.  EME'RITA.  Body  oval,  convex,  minutely  wrinkled ;  tail 
lanceolate,  more  than  half  as  long  as  the  body ;  front  with  three 
teeth ;  eyes  minute. 

Cancer  emeritus,  LIN. 

Hippa  emerita,  FABR.  ;  Suppl.  Entom.  Syst.,  370.    LATR.;  Hist.  Nat.  des  Crust., 

vi.  176,  pi.  52,  f.  1.    DESM.  ;  Consid.,  <$/-c.,  174,  pi.  29,  f.  2.    MILNE-£DW.  ;  Hist. 

Nat.  des  Ci-ust.,  ii.  209. 
Hippa  talpoida,  SAY  ;  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.,  i.  160,  444. 

This  curious  animal  is  often  called  the  Sand-bug.  I  have  re- 
ceived it  from  Martha's  Vineyard,  and  it  seems  to  extend  from 


DECAPODA.  CRUSTACEA.  PAGURUS.     329 

that  limit  to  the  shores  of  South  America.  Mr.  Say  thought 
there  were  characters  belonging  to  those  found  on  our  coast  which 
would  entitle  them  to  be  considered  as  a  new  species  ;  but  I  have 
not  found  the  differences  he  mentions  to  be  conspicuous  or  con- 
stant. They  are  of  about  the  size  and  shape  of  the  first  joint  of 
the  thumb  ;  and  their  numerous  jointed,  coiled  antennae,  and  the 
long,  lance-shaped  terminating  piece  of  the  tail  are  so  remarkable 

as  to  attract  immediate  notice. 

\ 

GENUS  PAoilRUS,  FABR. 

P.  BERNHA'RDUS.  Surface  rough  and  hairy;  right  hand 
largest. 

Cancer  Bernhardus,  LIN.;  HERBST  ;  Carter.,  ii.  14,  pi.  22,  f.  6. 

Pagurus  streblonyx,  LEACH  ;  Malacol.  Podoph.,  ^c.,  pi.  26. 

Pagurus  Bernhardus,  FABR.  ;  OLIV.  ;  LATR.  ;  MiLNE-Eow. ;  LAM.  ;  DESM.  ;  Con- 

sid.,  pi.  30,  f.  2. 
A'stacus  Bernhardus,  DEGEER;  PENNANT;  Brit.  Zool.,  iv.  pi.  17,  f.  38. 

This  and  the  two  following  species  are  known  by  the  name  of 
Hermit- Crabs.  The  posterior  portion  of  the  body  being  unpro- 
tected by  a  firm  crust,  the  animal  selects  some  empty  shell  which 
will  make  him  a  good  fit,  and  into  it  he  retreats.  This  he  drags 
about  with  him,  seldom  venturing  out  of  it,  and  retains  possession 
until  either  he  outgrows  it,  or  some  of  his  kindred  covet  it  and 
claim  it  by  right  of  the  strongest,  when  he  is  obliged  to  go  in 
search  of  another.  The  crab  is  often  supposed  to  be  the  real 
architect  and  owner  of  the  shell ;  but  is  never  so  .in  fact. 

This  species  becomes  larger  than  either  of  the  others.  It  is  of 
a  bright  cherry-red  color,  rough  and  hairy  ;  the  hand  is  well-pro- 
portioned, and  the  fingers  long,  slender,  and  gracefully  curved. 
It  occupies  large  specimens  of  Natica  and  Pyrula. 

P.  POLLICAVRIS.  Finely  granulated ;  right  hand  longest  ; 
thumb  elevated  into  an  angle  above ;  hand  and  finger  crested  and 
finely  toothed  beneath. 

Pagurus  pollicaris,  SAY  ;  Journ.Acad.  Nat.  Sc.,  i.  162.     MILNE-EDW.  ;  Hist.  Nat. 
dcs  Crust.,  ii.  237.    Jinn,  des  Sc.  JVat.,  1836,  vi.  269. 

This  is  also  a  large  species,  inhabiting  the  same  shells  as  the 
preceding.     But  its  color  is  a  pale  brick-red,  its  surface  finely 
42 


330  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

granulated  but  not  hairy  ;  and  its  short,  angular  hand,  and  peculiar 
thumb,  which  projects  above  into  nearly  a  right  angle,  distinguish 
it  from  all  other  species. 

P.  LONGICA'RPUS.  "  Right  hand  larger  and  longer  than  the 
left ;  wrist  and  hand  rather  long,  linear,  and  granulate ;  fingers 
short,  white,  equal."  Say. 

Pagurus  longicarpus,  SAY  ;  Journ.  Mead.  Nat.  Sc.,  i.  165. 

This  is  a  very  small  species,  inhabiting  small  specimens  of 
Buccinum,  Natica,  Purpura,  &c.  But  it  is  easily  distinguished 
from  the  young  of  the  two  preceding  species  by  its  slender  hand 
and  white  fingers. 

GENUS  HOMARUS. 

H.  AMERICA'NUS.  Rostrum  two  or  three  spined,  with  a  smaller 
one  each  side  at  base,  one  more  distant  on  the  thorax,  and  usually 
one  beneath  near  the  tip ;  wrist  five  spined  above  ;  hand  six  or  nine 
spined  on  the  inner  edge. 

Antaeus  marlnus  Americanus,  SEBA  ;   Thesaur.,  iii.  pi.  17,  f.  3. 
Astacus  marinus,  LATR.  ;  SAY  ;  Journ.  Mead.  Nat.  Sc.,  i.  165. 
Homarus  Americanus,  MILNE-EDW.;  Hist.  Nat.  des  Crust.,  ii.  334. 

The  common  Lobster  is  too  well  known  to  require  any  com- 
ments. It  is  found  about  all  the  islands  along  shore. 


GENUS  ASTACUS,  FABR. 

A.  BARTO'NII.  Rostrum  concave,  pointed;  thorax  unarmed; 
hands  short,  destitute  of  spines  ;  fingers  moderate. 

Astacus  Bartonii,  Bosc  ;  Hist,  des  Crust.,  ii.  62,  pi.  2,  f.  1.     HARLAN;  Med.  and 

Phys.  Researches,  230,  fig.  3.     SAY  ;  Journ.  JLcad.  Nat.  Sc.,  i.  167. 
Astacus  affinis,  MILNE-EDW.  ;  Hist.  Nat.  des  Crust.,  ii.  332. 

The  Craw-fish  or  Fresh-water  Lobster  is  a  miniature  of  the 
common  lobster,  two  inches  or  somewhat  more  in  length.  It  is 
strictly  an  inhabitant  of  fresh  water,  and  more  especially  of  moun- 
tain streams,  where  it  hides  under  stones,  &c.  It  is  much  es- 
teemed, as  food,  by  many.  The  single,  elongated  point  of  the 


DECAPODA.  CRUSTACEA.  CRANGON.     331 

rostrum  distinguishes  it  from  other  American  species.  Milne- 
Edwards  has  unfortunately  interchanged  the  names  of  this  and 
.another  species. 

GENUS  CRANGON,  FABR. 

C.  VULGA'RIS.  Rostrum  not  so  long  as  the  eyes,  with  a  spine 
behind  it  on  the  thorax^  and  another  on  each  side ;  thorax  seven 
spined ;  anterior  feet  with  a  spine  on  the  third  joint  beneath. 

Cancer  crangon,  SEBA  ;    Thesaur.  iii.  pi.  21,  f.  8.     LIN.  ;  Syst.  Nat. 

Astacus  crangon,  HERBST  ;  Cancr.,  ii.  75,  pi.  29,  f.  3. 

Crangon  vulgaris,  FABR.  ;    Entom.  Syst.  Suppl.,  410.     LATR.  ;    Crust. ,|  vi.  267, 

pi.  55,  f.  1,  2.    LEACH;  Malacol.  Pod.  Brit.,  pi.  37  B.    MILNE- EDW  ;  Hist.  Nat. 

des  Crust.,  ii.  341. 
Crangon  septernspinosus,  SAY  ;  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.,  i.  246. 

This  is  the  common  Shrimp,  of  which  vast  multitudes  are  used 
on  the  coasts  of  England  and  France  for  food.  Mr.  Say  thought 
the  number  of  spines  on  the  thorax  differed  from  that  on  the  trans- 
atlantic animal ;  and  he  therefore  gave  it  a  new  name.  But  I 
have  had  an  opportunity  of  examining  foreign  specimens  which  do 
not  differ  from  ours  ;  neither  do  the  best  figures  and  descriptions. 

It  is  more  plentiful  about  the  ocean  shores  than  within  Massa- 
chusetts Bay  ;  and  it  is  nowhere  sufficiently  abundant  to  make 
it  an  object  to  collect  it  for  food.  It  may  be  usually  found, 
however,  by  searching  the  little  pools  left  upon  the  flats  at  low 
tide. 

C.  BO'REAS.  Carapax  spiny;  the  second  and  third  pairs  of 
legs  filiform. 

Cancer  boreas,  Phipps's  Voyage,  194,  pi.  11,  f.  1. 
Cancer  homaroides,  FABR.;  Fauna  Grcenl.,  241. 
Astacus  boreas,  OLIV. ;  HERBST;  Cancr.,  ii.  73,  pi.  29,  f.  2. 

Crangon  boreas,  LAM.  ;   An.  sans  Vert.,  v.  350.     SABINE  ;  Append,  to  Parry's 
Voy.,  57.    MILNE-ED w. ;  Hist.  Nat.  des  Crust.,  ii.  342. 

This  species  is  larger  and  broader  than  the  preceding.  It  is 
broad  about  the  head,  marbled  with  scarlet,  and  having  several 
rows  of  spines  on  the  thorax.  I  have  taken  several  specimens 
from  the  maws  of  cod-fish,  but  have  never  seen  it  alive. 


332  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 


GENUS   PALJ&MON,  FABR, 

P.  VULGA'RIS.  " Rostrum  acute,  with  eight  or  nine  teeth  above, 
and  three  or  four  beneath ;  fingers  of  the  larger  pair  of  feet  shorter 
than  the  hand."  Say. 

Pals^mon  vulgaris,  SAY  ;  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.,  i.  248.  MILNE-EDW.  ;  Hist.  JYa*. 
des  Crust.,  ii.  394. 

This  animal  answers  to  the  Prawn  of  Europe,  and  is  nearly 
certain  to  be  identical  with  the  Pal&mon  squilla  of  Europe.  But 
I  have  not  yet  had  an  opportunity  of  actual  comparison.  It  is  a 
little  larger  than  the  shrimp,  and  is  known  by  the  long,  upturned, 
toothed  rostrum.  It  is  less  than  an  inch  and  a  half  in  length. 

GENUS  PANDALUS,  LEACH. 

P.  ANNULICO'RNIS.  JlntenncR  marked  with  rings  alternately 
white  and  red. 

P.  annulicornis,  LEACH  ;  MalacoL,  fy-c.,  tab.  40.  LATR.  ;  LAM.;  DESM.  ;  Consid. 
220,  pi.  38,  f.  2.  MILNE-EDW.  ;  Hist.  Nat.  des  Crust.,  ii.  384.  GRIFFITH'S 
Cuv.,  (Crust.)  pi.  17,  f.  3. 

A  beautiful  animal  about  four  inches  long,  with  very  long  an- 
tennas, elegantly  annulated  with  white  and  red,  and  with  a  long 
beak  like  False  mon,  from  which  it  is  distinguished  by  having  pin- 
cers on  the  second  pair  of  feet  only,  instead  of  the  first  two  pairs. 
I  have  found  it  only  in  the  stomachs  of  fishes. 

GENUS  HIPPOLYTE,  FABR. 

H.  ACULEA'TUS.  Rostrum  recurved,  slender,  spear-pointed, 
serrated  ;  segments  of  the  body  terminating  each  side  in  a  reflexed 
spine. 

Cancer  aculeatus,  FABR.  ;  Fauna  Grcenl.,  239. 

Alpheus  aculeatus,  SABINE;  Append,  to  Parry's  Voyt,2S7,  tab.  2,  f.  9,  10.     Ap- 
pend, to  Beechey's  Voy. 
Hippolyte  aculeatus,  MILNE-EDW.;  Hist.  Nat.  des  Crust.,  ii.  380. 

About  an  inch  in  length,  having  the  internal  antennae  very  short 
and  many -jointed,  a  compressed,  spear-pointed  rostrum,  and  the 


AMPHIPODA.  CRUSTACEA.  333 

segments  on  each  side  terminating  in  a  long,  curved  spine.     I 
have  found  it,  rather  abundantly,  in  fishes. 

GENUS  MYSIS,  LATR. 

M.  SPINULO'SUS.  Tail  terminated  by  two  short  spines  and  two 
longer ,  ciliated  plates  folding  inwards. 

Oncer  pedatus,  FABR.  ;  Fauna  Grant.  243. 

Mysis  saltatorius,  LAM.  ;  An.  sans  Vert.,  v.  346. 

Mysis  spinulosus,  DESM.  ;  Consid.,  242. 

Mysis  Fabricii,  LEACH  ;  Griffith's  Cuv.,  xiii.  (Crust.)  pi.  17,  f.  4. 

Mysis  Leachii,  THOMPSON  ;  Zool.  Researches,  i.  27. 

This  curious  little  animal  may  be  found  abundantly,  in  the  midst 
of  winter,  in  still  water  along  the  margins  of  bays.  Its  head  seems 
to  have  a  long  pair  of  beautifully  fringed  shears  attached  in  front  ; 
each  joint  is  marked  upon  the  back  with  a  black  star  ;  and  be- 
tween the  legs  of  the  females  is  seen  a  large  sac,  containing  eggs. 
Two  of  the  antennae  are  very  long  ;  and  the  whole  is  quite  trans- 
parent. It  is  about  an  inch  in  length. 

GENUS  NEBALIA,  LEACH. 

A  single  species  has  been  observed,  but  the  species  has  not 
been  satisfactorily  made  out.  It  is  small,  the  body  covered  by  a 
single  piece  like  a  cuirass,  the  tail  suddenly  narrowing,  long,  and 
terminating  in  two  bristles.  Multitudes  are  sometimes  found  in 
the  stomach  of  a  single  fish. 


AMPHIPODA. 

The  Amphipoda  are  small  Crustacea,  inhabiting  both  fresh  and 
salt  water,  and  some  of  them  are  well  known  to  every  one  who  is 
familiar  with  the  sea-shore,  under  the  name  of  Sand-fleas,  Beach' 
fleas,  &c.  They  are  capable  of  swimming  and  leaping,  but  not 
of  walking.  Their  feet  are  short  and  unequal,  and  their  body  is 
usually  so  arched  as  to  render  it  impossible  to  maintain  themselves 


334    INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

erect.  Some  of  them  live  almost  entirely  out  of  the  water,  and 
may  be  at  any  time  found  under  stones  and  sea-weed  along  the 
sea-beach.  Their  leaps  are  effected  principally  by  the  append- 
ages to  their  tails,  which  they  bend  underneath  them,  and  by  sud- 
den extension  toss  the  body  with  surprising  force.  They  depend 
for  subsistence  on  dead  animal  substances  which  the  waters  float 
to  them. 

It  is  very  difficult  to  make  out  the  different  species,  or  even  to 
determine  the  genera.  The  species  of  the  European  side  of  the 
Atlantic  are  too  briefly  described  and  too  badly  figured  to  enable 
one  to  be  certain  what  species  are  common  to  both  shores  ;  so 
that  I  am  not  fully  satisfied  with  the  following  results. 

GENUS  ORCHESTIA,  LEACH. 

O.  LONGICO'RNIS.  Talitrus  longicornis,  SAY;  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc., 
i.  384. 

This  appears  to  be  the  same  as  Cancer  gammarus  saltator  of 
Montagu,  (Trans.  Lin.  Soc.,  ix.  94,  tab.  4,  f.  3,)  which  is  given 
as  synonymous  with  Talitrus  locusta  of  Lamarck,  Pennant,  and 
others.  But  it  is  not  Gammarus  locusta  of  Montagu. 

O.  GRYLLUS.  Talitrus  gryllus,  Bosc ;  Hist.  Nat.  des  Crust.,  ii.  104. 
SAY;  Journ.  Jlcad.  Nat.  Sc.,  i.  386. 

The  following  seem  to  be  synonyms,  viz. 

Talitrus  gamarellus,  LATR.  and  LAM.    Orchestia  littorea,  LEACH;  Trans.  Lin. 
Soc.,  xi.  356.    DESM.  ;  Consid.,  <^c.,  261,  pi.  45,  f.  3. 

GENUS  GAMMARUS,  FABR. 

G.  LOCU'STA,  MONTAGU;  Lin.  Trans.,  ix.  pi.  4,  f.  1.  MILNE-£DW.  ;  Ann. 
des  Sc.  Nat.,  xx.  367. 

This  is  not  G.  locusta  of  Pennant,  Gmelin,  Pallas,  and  Fabri- 
cius,  which  is  a  Talitrus. 

G.  MINUS,    SAY  ;  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.,  i.  576. 

Found  in  ditches  and  sluggish  fresh  water,  adhering  to  sticks. 

Two  or  three  other  species  of  ORCHE'STIA,  and  one  of  AM- 
PHI'THOE,  remain  undetermined. 


LCEMIPODA.  CRUSTACEA.  CAPRELLA.     335 


GENUS  HYP^RIA,  LATR. 

H.    GALBA.      Gammarus  Galba,  MONTAGU  ;  Lin.  Trans.,  xi.  pi.  2,  f.  2. 
The  following  are  doubtless  synonyms  : 

Oniscus  medusarum,  O.  FABR.  ;  Fauna   Granl.,  275.     Hyperia  Sueurii,  LATR. 
Hyperia  Latreillii,  MILNE-£DW.  ;  Ann.  des  Sc.  JYa<.,  xx.  388,  pi.  11,  f.  1-7. 

This  curious  animal  is  found  in  the  pouches  of  the  Medusae  or 
Sun-fish  as  they  are  commonly  called.  Whether  they  make  this 
their  home,  or  whether  they  become  entrapped  there  or  not, 
it  would  be  difficult  to  determine.  They  seem,  however,  to  be 
quite  at  their  ease  in  this  situation. 

Another  animal  with  long,  many-jointed  antennae,  was  found  in 
company  with  the  above,  which  belongs  either  to  the  same  genus, 
or  to  the  genus  HIERACO'NYX. 


LCEMIPODA. 


GENUS  CYAMUS,  LATR. 

C.  CETI,  LATR.;  Gen.,  i.  60.  DESM.  ;  Consid.,  280,  pi.  46,  f.  4.  ED- 
WARDS; Ann.  des  Sc.  Nat.,  2d  Series,  iii.  328,  pi.  64,  f.  13,  14.  Oniscus  ceti, 
LIN.;  MULL.  Larunda  ceti,  LEACH. 

The  whale-louse  may  be  properly  enumerated  among  our  Crus- 
tacea, as  it  is  found  on  the  whales  which  are  occasionally  caught 
on  our  coast.  It  varies  in  form,  according  to  its  degree  of  de- 
velopement. 

GENUS  CAPRELLA,  LAM. 

I  have  observed  two  species  of  this  curious  genus,  neither  of 
which  can  I  refer  to  any  described  species.  One  of  them  is  very 
delicate,  about  half  an  inch  long,  with  no  spines  upon  any  part, 
that  I  can  discover,  and  having  its  back  thickly  dotted  with  dark 
green. 

The  other  is  an  inch  in  length,  entirely  crimson  except  its  black 
eyes.  The  head  is  blunt,  the  lower  antennae  ciliated  and  extend- 
ing to  the  second  segment,  and  the  upper  ones  to  the  third  seg- 


336  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

ment ;  first  two  segments  nearly  as  long  as  the  three  next,  and 
about  one  third  of  the  whole  length  ;  on  the  middle  of  the  first  is 
a  spine  ;  two  last  segments  short  and  heart-shaped.  Hands  hav- 
ing a  long  curved  finger  ;  an  imperfect  thumb  on  the  second  pair 
of  legs  ;  a  tubercle  at  the  base  of  the  ovate  carpus,  and  a  small 
spine  at  the  middle.  This  might  be  called  C.  sanguinea,  from  its 
color,  which  it  retains  in  spirits. 

These  curious  animals  are  found  among  clusters  of  zoophytes 
and  delicate  sea-weeds.  Their  mode  of  walking  is  like  that  of 
some  caterpillars,  who  bring  the  tail  forward  to  the  head  and  then 
thrust  the  body  forward  its  whole  length  to  prepare  for  another 
step. 


ISOPODA. 

The  animals  included  under  this  division  are  small,  and  many 
of  them  well  known.  They  have  seven  pairs  of  legs,  similar  in 
shape,  and  nearly  equal  in  length,  all  of  them  constructed  for 
walking  alone.  They  live  on  land,  and  in  both  fresh  and  salt 
water.  They  may  be  distributed  into  three  natural  families  ;  — 
1.  CloportidcR,  which  are  terrestrial,  and  well  known  under  the 
names  of  Sow-bugs,  Pill-bugs,  &c.  Their  food  is  decaying  vege- 
table matter.  2.  Cymothoadce,  which  are  parasites,  and  live  for 
the  most  part  about  the  gills  of  fishes,  from  which  they  suck  their 
nourishment.  3.  Idot&idce,  those  which  live  in  the  water,  but 
are  not  parasites. 

GENUS  ARMADILLO,  LATR. 

A.    PILULA'RIS,    SAY ;  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.,  i.  432. 

I  have  had  no  opportunity  to  compare  this  with  any  European 
species.  It  is  commonly  called  the  Pill-bug,  and  is  very  com- 
mon in  gardens  and  cellars,  under  stones  and  boards. 

GENUS  ONISCUS,  LIN. 

O.  ASE'LLUS,  LIN.  ;  LATR.  ;  DESM.;  Consid.,  320,  pi.  49,  f.  5.  O.  raura- 
rius,  FABR.  ;  Cuv.  O.  affinis,  SAY  ;  Journ.  Acad.  Jfat.  Sc.,  i.  430. 

In  all  the  specimens  I  have  examined,  the  styles  are  longer 


ISOPODA.  CRUSTACEA.          PORCELLIO.     337 

than  the  last  segment,  like  the  European  animal,  a  supposed  varia- 
tion from  which,  in  this  respect,  caused  Mr.  Say  to  regard  it  as 
distinct.  But  on  comparison,  ours  corresponds  with  foreign  speci- 
mens, in  every  respect.  This  is  the  common  Sow-bug  of  our 
cellars  and  gardens. 

GENUS  PORCELLIO. 
P.    NIGRA,    SAY;  Journ.  dead.  Nat.  Sc.,  i.  432. 

I  think  there  can  be  little  doubt  that  this  is  identical  with  P.  sea- 
ler, LATR.  and  Oniscus  granulatus,  LAM. 

P.    LJEVIS,   LATR.;  Genera,  i.  70.    DESM.;FLEM. 

If  the  animal  to  which  I  refer  is  not  this  species,  it  is  yet  un- 
described. 

These  two  species  are  also  called  Sow-bugs.  The  first  is 
found  everywhere  under  stones,  leaves,  bark,  &c.  ;  the  second  I 
found  in  a  cellar. 

GENUS  LtGIA. 

One  species  has  been  observed  about  the  timbers  of  a  decaying 
wharf.  It  seems  to  be  smaller  than  L.  oceanica. 

GENUS  ASELLUS. 

A.  VULGA'RIS?  LATR.  A  species  is  common  on  sticks  sub- 
merged in  ponds  and  ditches,  which  is  much  larger  than  either  of 
the  species  described  by  Mr.  Say  ;  and  I  cannot  find  that  it  dif- 
fers from  the  foreign  species. 

GENUS  IDOT&A. 
I.    CCECA,    SAY  ;  Journ.  Acad.  JYai.  Sc.,  i.  424. 

Found  on  sandy  beaches,  where  it  forms  the  little  serpentine 
tracks  which  are  always  noticeable  soon  after  the  recess  of  the 
tide,  and  at  one  end  of  which  the  animal  may  be  found  with  his 
back  loaded  with  sand.  When  the  coming  tide  overtakes  them, 
they  swim  about  with  great  activity. 

43 


338  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 


GENUS  ANTHURA. 

A.  GRA'ciLIS,  LEACH;  LAM.;  LATR.  ;  DESM.;  Consid.,  291,  pi.  46,  f.  13. 
MILNE-EDW.;  Hist.  Nat.  des  Crust.,  pi.  31,  f.  3,  4. 

GENUS  LIMNORIA. 

L.  TE'REBRANS,  LEACH;  Lin.  Trans.,  xi.  370.  LATR.;  DESM.;  COLD- 
STREAM  ;  Edin.  New  Philos.  Journ.,  xvi.  (1834),  316,  pi.  6,  f.  1  - 18.  THOMPSON  ; 
ibid.,  Jan.  1835. 

A  very  small  animal  which  burrows  in  timber  immersed  in  the 
sea,  making  small  furrows,  and,  by  its  numbers,  often  doing  con- 
siderable damage. 

GENUS  STENOS^MA. 
S.    IRRORAXTA>    SAY  ;  Journ.  dead.  Nat.  Sc.,  i.  423. 

Probably  the  same  as  Oniscus  entomon,  LIN.  ;  Cymothoa  ento- 
mon,  FABR.  ;  Idotea  entomon,  LATR.  ;  DESM.,  &c. 

The  animal  to  which  I  here  refer,  I  suppose  to  be  the  same 
which  Mr.  Say  had  in  view.  It  is  extremely  common,  clinging 
to  the  long,  narrow  leaves  of  Zostera  marina.  It  becomes  nearly 
an  inch  in  length,  but  is  usually  much  shorter.  Its  colors  are  sea- 
green,  variegated  with  brown  and  straw-color.  It  is  often  mot- 
tled or  margined  with  the  latter  color,  and  might  lead  one  to  sus- 
pect there  were  many  species  assembled. 

There  are  two  or  three  other  species  which  I  cannot  yet  refer 
to  any  description. 

GENUS  CYMOTHOA. 

C.  OESTRUM,  FABR.;  Syst.,  ii.  505.  LATR.;  LEACH;  DESM.;  Consid., 
309,  pi.  47,  f.  6,  7.  Griffith's  Cuv.  (Crust.)  pi.  8,  f.  1. 

C.  (./EGA)  EMARGINA'TA,  LEACH;  Diet.  desSc.  Nat.,  xii.  349.  DESM.; 
Consid.,  4/-C.,  305,  pi.  47,  f.  4,  5.  Griffith's  Cuv.,  (Crust.)  xii.  pi.  8,  f.  3. 

C.   (&QA)  .     Another  species. 

C.  (ANILO'CERA)  .     One  species. 

C.   (IcHTHYo'pHiLUs)  .     One  species. 

These  all  inhabit  the  mouths  and  gills  of  fishes. 


POSCILOPODA.  CRUSTACEA.  LIMULUS.     339 


BRANCHIOPODA. 

The  animals  of  this  division  are  small,  many  of  them  micro- 
scopic, and  for  the  most  part  inhabiting  stagnant  fresh  water. 
Their  feet  are  variable  in  number,  solely  adapted  for  swimming, 
and  some  of  them  are  constructed  so  as  also  to  serve  the  purposes 
of  respiration.  Their  bodies  are  enveloped  in  a  membranous 
covering  generally  in  the  form  of  a  shield.  They  are  beautiful 
objects  for  microscopic  examination.  Only  a  few  have  as  yet 
been  observed. 

BRA'NCHIPUS  STAGNA'LIS,  LAM.;  An.  sans  Vert.,v.  198.  Cancer  stag- 
nalis,  LIN.;  MULL.;  FABR.  ;  PENN.  Gamarellus  stagnalis,  HERBST  ;  Cancr.,  ii. 
121,  pi.  35,  f.  8  - 10.  Branchiopoda  stagnalis,  LATR.  j  DESM.  ;  FLEM. 

This  animal  is  often  an  inch  in  length,  and  is  remarkable  for  its 
numerous,  fringed  legs,  which  are  kept  in  continual  motion. 
Found  in  stagnant  pools. 

CYCLOPS.     One  species. 


PQECILOPODA. 

Characterized  by  having  the  feet  of  various  forms  ;  those  in 
front  being  constructed  for  walking  and  prehension,  and  the  hinder 
ones  for  swimming  and  breathing.  They  are  deprived  of  jaws, 
and  instead  of  them  have  organs  for  suction.  Most  of  them  live 
on  the  bodies  of  other  animals,  principally  fishes,  whose  juices 
they  suck  for  nourishment.  The  body  is  covered  with  a  kind  of 
buckler,  usually  of  only  one  piece. 

LfMULUS  POLYPHE'MUS,  LATR.;  SAY;  Journ.  Acad.  Nat.  Sc.,  i.  433. 
DESM.  ;  Consid.,  4/-c.,  354,  f.  12.  Monoculus  polyphemus,  LIN.  Limulus  Ameri- 
canus,  LEACH;  BUCKLAND  ;  LAM. 

This  animal  is  well  known  under  the  names  of  Horse-shoe, 
King-crab^  and  Sauce-pan  fish. 


340   INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

A'RGULUS  ALO'S-E.  An  Argulus  sent  to  me  by  Dr.  T.  W. 
Harris,  and  procured  by  him  from  the  gills  of  the  alevvife,  (Jllosa 
vulgarisj)  I  find  to  be  new.  As  I  have  not  since  been  able  to 
obtain  specimens,  I  cannot  give  a  detailed  description  ;  but  the 
following  characters  will  serve  to  distinguish  it  from  other  known 
species. 

The  shield  is  obovate  or  obcordate,  covering  only  the  first  two 
pairs  of  legs,  which  are  so  long  that  the  fringed 
fingers  project  entirely  beyond  it.  Abdo- 
men bearing  the  next  three  pairs  of  legs, 
very  narrow,  and  half  as  long  as  the  shield. 
Then  follow  two  short  folia,  covered  by  two 
others,  each  of  them  nearly  as  long  and  as 
broad  as  the  exposed  part  of  the  abdomen. 

It  differs  from  A.  foliaceus  in  having  the 
shield  broader  behind  than  before  ;  by  its 
extended  abdomen,  the  shield  in  that  species 
covering  all  but  the  last  pair  of  legs  ;  and  by 
the  much  greater  length  of  the  caudal  appen- 
dages. In  A.  Catastomi,  the  legs  scarcely  extend  beyond  the 
margin  of  the  shield,  which  is  nearly  circular,  and  rather  broader 
than  long.  Length  about  half  an  inch. 


PISCl'NUS,    LATR.  ;    Hist.  Nat.    des   Crust.,   iv.   pi.  31,   f.    1. 
DESM.     Monoculus  piscinus,  LIN.  ;  FABR. 

This  little  fish-louse  may  be  found,  at  almost  any  time,  upon  the 
surface  of  the  cod  and  other  deep-water  fishes,  especially  if  the 
fish  is  unhealthy.  It  has  a  small,  rounded  disc,  about  a  fourth  of 
an  inch  in  diameter,  having  two  flattened,  jointed  appendages  be- 
hind, which  are  sometimes  .an  inch  in  length,  though  they  are 
seldom  found  entire. 

I  have  another  species  of  Caligus,  quite  different  from  the  pre- 
ceding, taken  from  a  shark  (Lamna  punctata).  It  is  remarkable 
for  having,  within  each  posterior  angle  of  the  shield,  two  little 
elevated  crests,  placed  at  right  angles  to  each  other.  The  abdom- 
inal and  caudal  plates  are  very  long  and  broad,  and  beyond  these 
the  jointed  appendages  project,  making  the  whole  animal  an  inch 


PCECILOPODA.  CRUSTACEA.  CECROPS.     341 

and  a  half  in  length.  The  margin  of  the  shield,  behind  the  anten- 
nae, is  very  thin  and  finely  fringed,  to  favor  adhesion.  This  may 
be  Pterygopoda  Latreillii.  Otherwise  it  may  be  called  C.  cris- 
tdta. 

ANTHOSO'MA  SMi'THII,  LEACH;  Diet,  des  Sc.  JYta.,  xiv.  533.  Encyc. 
Brit.,  Suppl^  vii.  406,  pi.  20.  GRIFFITH'S  Cuv.  (Crust.),  pi.  21,  f.  2.  LATR.  ; 
DESM.  ;  Consid.,  <^c.,  335,  pi.  50,  f.  3. 

Found  by  Dr.  D.  H.  Storer,  on  a  shark  (Lamna  punctata) ,  in 
a  cavity  near  the  anus,  which  these  animals  seemed  to  have  ex- 
cavated. 

CECROPS  LATRE'lLLII,  LEACH;  Encyc.  Brit.  SuppL,  vii.  pi.  20,  f.  1. 
DESM.  ;  Consid.,  fyc.,  338,  pi.  50,  f.  2.  LATR.  ;  LAM. 

Found  upon  the  sun-fish  (Orthogariscus  wo/a),  by  Drs.  Binney 
and  Storer.  The  characters  of  this  curious  animal  seem  to  have 
been  but  imperfectly  known.  I  have  made  out  a  detailed  descrip- 
tion of  it,  with  figures,  which  I  shall  take  some  other  opportunity 
of  publishing. 

PENE'LLA  FILO'SA,  Cuv.  A  long,  worm-like  animal,  with  a 
horned  head  and  bushy  tail,  which  penetrates  deeply  into  the  sides 
of  the  sun-fish  ( Orthagoriscus  mola) . 

BRANCHIE'LLA  THYNNI,  Cuv. 

CHONDRACA'NTHUS  CORNU'TUS,  Cov.  Lernea cornuta,  MULL. ;  En- 
cyc. M6th.,  pi.  78,  f.  1. 


ANNELIDA. 

THE  Earth-worm,  the  Leech,  and  similar  animals  come  under 
this  class.  They  derive  their  name  from  the  numerous  ring-like 
joints  of  which  their  bodies  are  composed.  They  dwell  in  water 
or  in  clay  or  wet  sand,  and  many  of  them  live  on  the  juices  which 
they  suck  from  other  animals.  Excepting  the  leeches,  they  all  have 
little  appendages  on  each  side  of  every  ring  of  the  body,  furnished 
with  silky  hairs  and  bristles,  for  the  purposes  of  respiration  and 
locomotion  ;  and  by  these  it  is  easy  to  decide  upon  the  class  to 
which  they  belong.  Many  of  those  which  live  in  the  sand,  or 
under  stones  and  in  mud  along  the  shore,  are  used  as  bait  for 
fishing. 

LEECHES.  There  are  three  large  species  of  Hirudo,  besides 
numerous  smaller  ones.  But  they  have  not  been  studied,  and  do 
not  seem  even  to  have  received  a  name,  unless  from  Bosc,  whose 
work  I  have  not  seen.  There  is  the  common  Blood-sucker, 
which  is  not  unfrequently  employed  in  the  country  for  medical 
purposes.  Its  value  has  not  been  properly  tested  ;  but  while  for- 
eign leeches,  which  are  always  safe  and  sure  in  their  operations, 
can  be  so  readily  obtained,  it  is  not  probable  that  our  leech  will 
be  extensively  employed  in  large  cities. 

The  HORSE-LEECH  is  very  large  and  long,  distinguished  by  its 
bluish-black  back  and  its  ochre-colored  belly,  which  may  be  com- 
pared to  the  inner  surface  of  calf-skin  leather.  Its  bite  is  not 
disposed  to  heal  readily. 

The  TORTOISE-LEECH,  (Hirudo  parasitica,  SAY,  Append,  to 
Long's  2d  Exped.  ii.  266,)  is  a  third.  It  is  flattened,  somewhat 
oval  in  form,  granulated  and  wood-colored  upon  the  back,  with 
each  margin  checked  by  a  line  of  dark,  square  spots.  It  may 
often  be  found  adhering  to  bits  of  wood  in  ponds,  with  a  brood  of 


ANNELIDA.  343 

young  adhering  to  an  orifice  at  the  middle  of  the  belly.     This 
must  belong  to  the  genus  Clepslna  of  Savigny. 

PHYLLl"NE    HIPPOGLO'SSI,     LAM.;    An.   sans    Vert.,   v.   526.      Encyc. 
Mtth.,  pi.  52,  f.  11  - 14.     Hirudo  hippoglossi,  MULL. 

Always  found  on  the  bodies  of  the  Halibut  (Hippoglossus  vul- 
garis.) 

The  EARTH-WORM,  which  is  probably  the  Lumbricus  terres- 
tris  of  Linnaeus  is  classed  here. 

Of  the  CHETOPODJ1,  or  Annelida  with  bristly  legs,  the  fol- 
lowing have  been  recognised  : 

APHRODIVTA  ACULEAVTA,  LIN.    Halithea  aculeata,  SAV.  ;    AUD.  and 
EDW.  ;  Jinn,  des  Sc.  JV*a«.,  xxvii.  pi.  8,  f.  7. 

POLY'NOE  SQUAMA'TA,  AUD.  and  EDW.  ;  ibid.,  pi.  7,  f.  10-16. 

NEVREIS    MARGARITA'CEA,   LEACH.    Lycoris  margaritacea,  LAM. 

PHYLLO'DOCE    Vl'RIDIS,   JOHNSTONJ  Ann.  of  Nat.  Hist.,  iv.  228,  pi.  6, 
f.  11  -  15.     Nereis  viridis,  LIN. 

PHYLLO'DOCE  LAMELLI'GERA,  JOHNSTON  ;  ibid.,  pi.  6,  f.  1-6. 

The  sedentary  Annelida  have  been  already  mentioned  among 
the  Testacea,  page  7. 


RADIATA. 

-\, 

THE  radiated  animals,  usually  known  under  the  name  of  Zoo- 
phytes, are  so  called  from  the  peculiar  anatomical  arrangement  of 
their  parts.  The  mouth  is  usually  central,  and  the  other  parts  are 
arranged  around  it,  in  a  radiated  manner.  The  Star-fish,  Sea- 
nettle,  Polypi,  &c.  are  examples  of  this  form. 

ECHINODERMATA. 

Usually  of  a  solid  structure,  and  always  having  the  surface  beset 
with  spines  or  some  rough  coating. 

EcHfNUS    GRANULAVTUS,    SAY ;  Journ.  dead,  Nat.  Sc.,  ii. 

This  animal,  from  its  size,  shape,  color,  and  the  spines  with 
which  it  is  armed,  may  be  well  compared  to  a  chestnut-burr.  It 
is  sometimes  called  the  Sea-chestnut  or  Sea-egg. 

SCUTE'LLA  (ECHINARA'CHNIUS)  PARMA  ?  RUMPH.  A  cir- 
cular, slightly  elevated  object,  apparently  composed  of  sand.  It 
is  found  from  one  to  three  inches  in  diameter,  and  has  a  central 
star  composed  of  five  leaflets,  above.  The  upper  surface  is  di- 
vided into  small  hexagonal  areas  ;  and  belbw,  it  is  irregularly 
veined.  When  not  rubbed,  it  is  found  covered  with  short,  deli- 
cate spines. 

ASTE'RIAS  (GONIA'STER)   EQUE'STRIS,  LAM.;  An.  sans  Vert.,  in. 

242.     Encyc.  M6th.,  pi.  101,  102. 

A  fine  specimen  was  thrown  upon  Phillips's  Beach,  and  found 
by  Dr.  Prescott,  after  a  storm. 

ASTE'RIAS  ARANCI'ACA,  LIN.  ;  Encyc.  M6th.,  pi.  in,  f.  3, 4. 

A  small  specimen,  was  taken  from  the  mouth  of  a  cod-fish. 


^T 

. 


ECHINODERMATA.  RADIATA.  HOLOTHURIA.       345 

ASTE'RIAS  (STELLO'NIA)   RUBENS,  LIN.;  Encyc.  M6th.,  pi.  112, 

f.  3,4;  pi.  113,  f.  1,2. 

This  is  the  common  Star-fish  or  Five-finger  of  our  coast.  Its 
colors  and  proportions  are  very  various.  Many  of  the  specimens 
are  of  a  blood-red  color  during  life,  and  others  are  yellowish.  I 
regard  them  all  as  the  same  species. 

ASTE'RIAS  SPONGIOVSA  ?  A  small,  but  beautiful  species,  of  a 
brick-red  color,  which  may  perhaps  be  this  species,  was  sent 
from  Martha's  Vineyard,  by  Dr.  Yale. 

OPHIU'RA  LACERTO'SA  ?  The  disk  is  small,  the  rays  long  and 
rounded,  their  sides  beset  with  short,  overlapping  spines,  the 
color  olive-green.  It  does  not  agree  well  with  any  description  I 
have  seen.  Dredged  by  Professor  Adams,  at  Dartmouth. 

OPHIU'RA    ACULEA  TA,    LIN.  ;  Encyc.  Mith.,  pi.  124,  f.  2,  3. 

The  disk  is  covered  with  scales  and  granules,  the  rays  are  usu- 
ally red,  but  often  with  alternate  rings  of  red  and  dark-brown,  and 
their  sides  are  armed  with  a  row  of  four  or  five  spines  on  each 
joint.  They  are  devoured  in  great  numbers  by  fish. 

EURY'ALE  SCUTA'TUM,  BLAINV.  This  is  one  of  the  varieties 
of  the  Linnaean  Jlsterias  ca,put-Medus&.  The  disk  is  large,  the 
rays  five,  repeatedly  dividing  into  two  branches  until  the  extremi- 
ties become  mere  twigs.  I  have  received  two  or  three  specimens 
which  were  collected  at  Cape  Ann  and  about  Cape  Cod. 

HOLOTHU'RIA  (CLADODA'CTYLA)   PENTA'CTES,    MULLER;   Zool. 

Dan.    Encyc.  Meth.,  pi.  86,  f.  5. 

Not  certainly  determined. 

HOLOTHURIA  CHRYSACANTHO'PHORA,  COUTH.;  Bost.  Journ.  Nat. 

Hist.,  ii.  58. 

This  is  not  unlikely  to  be  the  H.  forcipata  of  O.  Fabricius. 
Several  specimens  which  I  have  seen,  were  all  taken  from  fishes' 
stomachs,  in  a  mutilated  state.  Some  of  the  essential  characters, 
therefore,  remain  yet  undetermined.  The  surface  is  light  colored, 
and  appears  to  be  naked,  except  that  there  are  several  long,  flexi- 
ble, sharp-pointed  spines  about  the  mouth,  of  a  shining  golden- 
yellow.  One  specimen  is  five  or  six  inches  in  length. 
44 


346    INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 
HOLOTHU'RIA  (CUVIE'RIA)  SQUAMAVTA,  MULL.  ;  Zool.  Dan.    En- 

cyc.  Mtth.,  pi.  87,  f.  10-12. 

Very  curious  for  the  firm,  granulated,  brick-colored  scales  with 
which  its  back  is  shielded. 


HOLOTHU'RIA    (SYNA'PTA)    BRIAVREUS,    LESUEUR;  Joum. 

JVat.  Sc.,  ii. 

This  animal,  contracted  by  alcohol,  is  two  inches  and  a  half  in 
length  and  about  one  inch  in  diameter,  and  is  probably  three  times 
that  size  when  extended.  Its  color  has  a  tint  of  mazareen-blue, 
and  its  surface  is  covered  uniformly  with  minute,  tentacular  fila- 
ments, about  a  twelfth  of  an  inch  in  length,  of  a  yellowish  color. 
Tentacula  eight,  very  much  branched  into  botryoidal  tufts,  nearly 
equal  in  size.  The  exterior  is  firm  and  strong,  and  without  any 
flattened  disk. 

It  agrees  pretty  well  with  the  description  of  H.  bridreus,  but  if 
it  should  prove  different,  I  have  proposed  the  name  Synapta  in- 
tonsa  for  it. 

CHIRO'DOTA  ARENA'TA.     Body  five  or  six  inches  long,  club- 

shaped,  rounded  before  and 
diminishing  posteriorly,  with- 
out any  sudden  stricture,  till 
it  forms  a  tube,  the  last  two  inches  of  which  is  of  uniform  size, 
and  about  the  diameter  of  a  crow-quill.  The  lentacula  are  eleven 
in  number,  short,  sub-equal,  clove-shaped,  terminating  in  four 
points  which  expand  into  a  star,  colored  like  the  body;  mouth 
small  ;  ovarian  papilla  adjacent.  Surface  with  five  longitudinal 
furrows,  answering  to  the  five  internal  bands,  two  of  which  are 
shortened  so  as  to  give  the  body  a  crescentic  curve  ;  circular 
wrinkles  minute  and  numberless.  Color  light  drab,  with  straw- 
colored  reflections,  apparently  naked,  but  rough  with  calcareous 
grains  like  very  fine  sand,  thickest  a  little  behind  the  middle. 

This  curious  animal  has  been  frequently  found  upon  Chelsea 
beach,  after  violent  storms.  I  cannot  find  that  it  has  been  de- 
scribed. 


ACALEPHJE.  RADIATA.  CYANEA.       347 


ACALEPILE. 

These  animals  are  many  of  them  familiarly  known  under  the 
names  of  Sun-fish,  Sea-nettles,  Sea-jellies,  &c.  They  are  of  a 
gelatinous  consistency,  usually  transparent  as  glass,  of  a  circular 
form,  and  concave  or  umbrella-shaped.  Many  of  them,  when 
taken  in  the  hand,  communicate  a  prickling  sensation  much  like 
the  stinging  of  nettles,  and  hence  they  receive  both  their  scientific 
and  their  popular  name.  Some  of  them  appear  to  capture  their 
prey  by  this  miniature  electric  shock.  I  have  repeatedly  seen  a 
BE'ROE  stretch  out  its  filaments  several  inches  until  it  reached  a 
crustaceous  animal  of  nearly  its  own  size,  which,  upon  contact, 
instantly  fell  down,  either  dead  or  paralyzed.  Some  of  these  an- 
imals grow  to  a  great  size,  and  I  have  seen  specimens  of  CYA'NEA, 
on  the  sea-beach,  a  foot  and  a  half  in  diameter.  Others  are  small, 
not  more  than  half  an  inch  or  an  inch  in  diameter,  but  all  extreme- 
ly beautiful ;  and  their  motions,  which  in  some  of  them  are  per- 
formed by  a  process  like  the  alternate  opening  and  shutting  of  an 
umbrella,  are  very  graceful  ;  and  nothing  can  exceed  the  elegance 
of  those  which  are  propelled  by  little  ciliae  or  oars  arranged  along 
their  sides,  as  in  the  BE'ROE. 

The  larger  species  are  found  only  for  a  short  time  in  summer  ; 
but  a  great  number  of  small  species  are  found  in  cold  weather,  espe- 
cially after  a  high  wind  blowing  from  the  ocean.  They  evidently 
migrate,  and  their  course  and  periods  are  probably  directed  by  the 
temperature  of  the  water,  as  they  have  no  visible  organs  of  sense. 

The  forms  of  some  of  them  are  very  beautiful,  and  many  of 
them  would  afford  admirable  patterns  for  laces  and  embroidery. 

The  books  to  which  I  have  had  access  enable  me  to  determine 
but  very  few  species. 

CYAXNEA    POSTE'LSH,    BRANDT;  Schirmquallen,  375,  tab.  12,  13. 

A  very  large,  liver-colored  animal,  fringed  at  the  margin,  and 
exhibiting  numerous  circular  bands  beneath.  It  is  found  on  Phil- 
lips's  and  Chelsea  beaches,  abundantly,  in  August.  Diameter, 
one  foot. 


348    INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 


AUREVLIA  AURINTA,  MULL.;  Zool.  Dan.,  tab.  76,77.  Encyc.  Meth.,  pi. 
94,  f.  1  -  3. 

This  is  our  common  Sun-fish  or  Sea-jelly,  well  known  to  all 
who  are  familiar  with  the  sea  in  July  and  August.  I  could  never 
perceive  any  tingling  sensation  from  handling  it. 


FLAVl'DULA  ?     PERON  and  LESUEUR. 

A  small  species,  of  a  rusty  -yellow  color,  about  the  size  of  an 
English  shilling  ;  the  margin  divided  into  eight  moderately  deep 
scollops,  all  of  which  are  fringed  with  long  ciliae.  Its  surface 
appears  granulated.  Observed  abundantly  in  March. 

AURE'LIA  -  .  Another  species,  about  two  thirds  the 
size  of  the  preceding,  in  which  the  scollops  are 
much  less  conspicuous,  while  the  little  flaps  be- 
tw'een  them  are  more  developed  ;  the  ciliae  are 
shorter,  and  the  tentacula  about  the  mouth  seem 
to  be  united  into  a  tube  spreading  a  little  at  its  ex- 
tremity. Found  a  little  later. 

EPHYVRA   OCTOLOBANTA  ?      BLAINV.  ;  Man.  d'Actin.,  273,  pi.  36,  f.  3. 

About  one  fourth  of  an  inch  in  diameter,  of  a  rusty- 
yellow  hue,  having  eight  lobes,  the  divisions  between 
which  extend  half  way  to  the  centre  ;  each  of  these 
lobes  is  again  divided  by  a  deep  fissure  ;  margin  not 
ciliated.     Found  with  the  preceding. 

OCEA'NIA    TUBULO'SA,    SARS  ;  Bcskr.  ov.  Polyph.,  25. 

A  perfectly  hyaline,  balloon-shaped  animal,  about  the 
size  of  a  pistol-bullet.  It  is  open  at  the  bottom,  and  has 
four  threads  hanging  from  the  margin,  and  from  the  centre 
a  club-shaped  tube,  all  of  which  are  capable  of  great  ex- 
tension. Its  motions  are  very  rapid.  Found  in  April 
and  May. 


E    BUGAINVI'LLH,    BRANDT;  Schirmquallcn,  pi.  20.     Pe- 
tersburg Trans.,  ii. 

Another  rather  large,  balloon-shaped  animal,  of  a  bluish  tint, 
having  four  tufts  of  cilise  attached  to  the  margin,  and  a  cross-shaped, 


POLYPI.  RADIATA.  ACTINIA.     349 

yellowish  mass  at  the  centre.    It  may  be  well  likened  to  a  cupping- 
glass  or  the  receiver  of  an  air-pump.     Found  in  April ;  rare. 

STOMOBRA'CHIUM  LENTICULA'RE  ?  BRANDT;  Schirmquallen,  122, 
tab.  3,  f.  6,  7. 

A  slightly  convex  animal,  about  the  size  of  a  dime,  distinguished 
by  its  four  stomachs,  which  extend  nearly  across  the  animal, 
forming  a  cross  resembling  the  fans  of  a  windmill.  Its  border  is 
fringed  all  around.  Found  with  the  preceding. 

ALCY'NOE  VERMICULA'RIS,  RANG,  j  Griffith's  Cuv.,  xii.  pi.  4,  f.  5. 
A  few  specimens  found  in  May. 

BE'ROE    (CYDIVPPE)    PI'LEUS,    MULL.    BLAINV.;  Actin.,U9,  pl.8,f.t. 
A  most  interesting  globular  animal,  having  eight  ciliated  ribs, 
and  two  very  long,  white  threads  issuing  from  it. 


POLYPI. 

To  the  Polypi  the  name  of  zoophytes  or  animal  plants  more 
properly  belongs.  They  have  a  central  mouth,  around  which  are 
arranged  thread-like  tentacula,  which,  when  expanded,  present  a 
close  resemblance  to  various  flowers  and  plants.  A  few  of  them 
are  large  and  solitary  ;  but  most  of  them  are  very  minute,  and 
nearly  all  of  them  produce  structures  of  a  horny  or  stony  firmness, 
on  which  they  dwell  in  communities.  There  are  a  few  small 
corals  inhabiting  our  waters  ;  but  the  coralline  structures  which 
we  find,  are  generally  spread  out  in  a  thin  coating  upon  shells, 
marine  plants,  &c.  They  usually  present  a  honey-comb  appear- 
ance, and  are  beautiful  objects  for  the  microscope.  Other  struc- 
tures resemble  miniature  trees  ;  and  many  of  the  objects  found 
on  the  sea-shore  and  supposed  to  be  sea-weeds,  are  of  animal 
origin.  They  have  as  yet  attracted  but  little  observation  in  this 
country. 

AcTl'NIA    MARGINAVTA,    LESUEUR;  Journ.  AcaA.  Nat.  Sc  ,  i.  172. 

The  Sea-anemone  is  found  in  still  water,  adhering  to  rocks, 
timbers,  &c.  This  species  is  the  only  one  I  have  found.  It  is 


350   INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

often  two  inches  in  diameter,  when  expanded.  Its  color  varies 
from  light  fawn  to  dark  chestnut.  The  tentacula  have  alternate 
rings  of  the  same  color  and  of  white,  so  that  they  are  white  tipped 
or  not,  according  to  their  stage  of  growth.  It  may  be  nothing 
more  than  A.  mesembryanthemum  of  European  authors. 

TUBULAVRIA  INDIVIVSA,  LIN.  ELLIS;  Coratt.  tab.  16,  f.  C.  LISTER; 
Philos.  Trans.,  1834,  366,  pi.  8,  f.  1 .  JOHNSTON  ;  Brit.  Zooph.,  113,  pi.  3,  f.  1,  2. 

A  beautiful  object,  found  abundantly  around  Boston,  on  the 
under  side  of  floating  timber.  It  grows  in  clusters,  each  animal 
having  a  circle  of  minute  filaments,  enclosing  a  group  of  shorter, 
pink-colored  ones,  which,  being  seated  upon  a  straw-colored 
stalk  three  or  four  inches  long,  resembles  a  delicate  flower  with 
its  petals  and  stamens. 

TUBULAVRIA  LARYNX,  SOLANDER;  ELLIS;  Corall.,  pi.  16,  f.  b.  JOHN- 
STON ;  Brit.  Zooph.,  115,  pi.  3,  f,  3;  pi.  4,  f.  3-5. 

Similar  to  the  preceding,  but  smaller.  They  are  principally 
distinguished  by  their  tubes  being  somewhat  branched,  and  wrin- 
kled so  as  to  form  three  or  four  rings  at  regular  intervals. 

TUBULAXRIA  RAMOVSA,  LIN.  ELLIS;  Brit.  Zooph.,  tab.  16,  f.  a,  and 
tab.  17,  f.  a,  A. 

Branched  like  the  preceding,  and  with  rings  at  the  origin  of  the 
branches  ;  but  the  polypi  have  only  a  single  series  of  tentacula. 

TUBULA'RIA    STELLl'FERA,    COUTHOUY;  Bost.  Journ.  Nat.  Hist.,  ii.  56. 

A  beautiful,  salmon-colored,  minute  species,  growing  in  clus- 
ters on  logs  around  the  bathing-house  at  Craigie's  bridge.  These 
clusters  look  as  though  they  might  be  patches  of  moss.  I  have 
not  been  able  to  refer  it  to  any  described  species. 

SERTULANRIA  PINNA'TA,  PALLAS;  JOHNSTON  ;  Brit.  Zooph.,  127,  pi.  9, 
f,  5,  6. 

Grows  on  old  shells,  and  resembles  a  miniature,  thinly-branched 
cypress. 

LAOMEDE'A  GELATINOVSA,  JOHNSTON;  Brit.  Zooph.,  152,  pi.  21,  f.  3, 
4  ;  pi.  23,  f.  1.  Campanularia  gelatinosa,  FLEM.,  549. 

Found  attached  to  Tubuldria  larynx.     The  polypi  are  very 


POLYPI.  RADIATA.  ESCHARA.       351 

active  in  their  motions,  constantly  protruding  themselves  from 
their  bell-shaped  recesses,'  and  very  suddenly  retreating. 

MEMBRANI'PORA  PILOVSA,  JOHNSTON  ;  Brit.  Zoopk.,  280,  pi.  24,  f.  10- 
12.  FARRE  ;  Philos.  Trans.,  1837,  pi.  27,  f.  I  -  5.  Flustra  pilosa,  LIN. 

Encrusts  small  sea-weeds  and  old  shells  with  a  membranous 
lace-work,  from  each  of  the  meshes  of  which  a  hair  is  seen  to  is- 
sue, unless  worn  off  by  friction,  as  it  usually  is. 

ALCYO'NIUM  ECHINAVTUM,  FLEM.  ;  Brit.  Anim.,  517.  JOHNSTON  ; 
Brit.  Zooph.,  304,  pi.  42,  f.  3,  4. 

Of  a  fleshy  nature,  encrusting  dead  univalve  shells.  It  becomes 
stiff  when  dry,  and  is  then  studded  with  prickles.  Such  shells 
appear  enveloped  in  a  greenish,  filmy  scum.  Very  common  on 
Buccinum  unddtum. 

EsCHANRA  FOLIAVCEA,  LAM.  JOHNST.J  Brit.  Zooph., 2U7,  pi.  40.  MILNE- 
EDW.J  Ann.  des  Sc.  JYaf.,  vi.  36,  pi.  3,  f.  1. 

Drawn  up  from  deep  water.  It  is  a  broad  membrane,  less  than 
a  tenth  of  an  inch  in  thickness,  gathered  into  a  flounce.  It  is  so 
light  as  to  float  in  water,  becomes  crisp  when  dry,  of  a  yellowish- 
brown  color,  and  is  punctured  with  numerous  pores  on  both  sides. 

The  CORALLINES  and  SPONGES  have  by  many  been  ranked 
among  the  Polypi.  But  recent  observations  have  proved  that 
neither  of  them  are  inhabited  by  polypi. 

The  CORALLINES  are  now  fully  proved  to  be  of  a  vegetable 
character,  allied'  to  the  Algae.  We  have  at  least  one  species, 
which  we  find  attached  to  shells  which  are  rolled  up  from  the 
deep,  and  also  along  rocky  shores,  growing  in  the  little  basins 
which  are  filled  by  the  dashing  of  the  surf  into  them.  It  is  of  a 
brownish  color  when  living,  but  soon  becomes  white  on  exposure 
to  the  air,  and  is  probably  Corallina  rubens  of  Linnaeus. 

The  SPONGES  still  hold  a  disputed  ground  between  animals  and 
vegetables.  Their  claim  to  a  place  in  the  animal  kingdom  seems 
to  rest  on  the  power  which  the  ovules  or  young  are  observed  to 
have  of  floating  from  place  to  place  at  will,  by  means  of  vibratory 
ciliae.  When  they  have  once  attached  themselves  to  some  solid 
body,  as  they  always  do,  they  do  not  afterwards  manifest  any  in- 
dications of  sensation  or  volition. 


352  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

We  have  three  or  four  species,  some  of  them  quite  beautiful, 
but  none  of  them  having  a  structure  sufficiently  tenacious  to  ren- 
der them  useful.  Such  are 

SPO'NGIA  OCULA'TA,  MONTAGU;  Wernerian  Trans.,  ii.  78,  pi.  6,  f.  2. 
ELLIS  ;  CoralL,  tab.  32,  f.  F,  f. 

SPO'NGIA    RAMO'SA,    MONTAGU;    Wern.  Trans.,  ii.  84,  pi.  8. 
SPO'NGIA    ARBORE'SCENS,    LAM.     S.  rubens,  PALLAS. 

Of  parasitic  worms  and  infusory  animals,  great  numbers  have 
been  observed.  There  is  not  a  beast,  bird,  reptile,  or  fish,  which 
has  not  one  or  more  species  of  worm  infesting  the  intestines  or 
other  organs  of  the  body.  The  little  animalcula  called  infusory 
animals,  may  always  be  found  in  water,  whether  fresh  or  salt ;  but 
more  especially  in  warm  weather,  when  the  waters  of  the  ditches 
and  stagnant  pools  become  almost  opake  with  their  countless 
multitudes.  They  will  amuse  and  astonish  any  one  who  will  sub- 
ject a  drop  of  such  water  to  the  microscope  ;  but  any  special 
enumeration  or  description  of  them  here  would  be  useless. 


The  preceding  list  of  Crustacea,  Annelida,  and  Radiata  has 
been  prepared  almost  without  assistance,  and  while  almost  entirely 
confined  within  the  limits  of  the  city.  Occasional  visits  to  the 
wharves,  timber-docks,  and  market  have  been  the  principal  re- 
sources for  specimens.  It  serves  to  show  that  we  have  about  us 
an  abundance  of  animals  whose  structure  and  habits  have  received 
their  share  of  attention  in  other  countries,  but  which  have  hitherto 
found  few  devotees  in  this  country.  So  few  gleanings  have  been 
made  in  this  field,  that  no  other  promises  a  more  abundant  return 
for  labor.  The  whole  American  coast  is  unexplored.  Nearly 
every  spadefull  of  the  sand  of  the  beach,  every  stone  washed  by 
the  tide,  and  every  sea-weed  will  furnish  some  object  which  is 
curious,  and  often  new.  If  some  of  the  young  naturalists  whom 
we  see  multiplying  around  us,  especially  any  who  reside  on  the 
sea-shore,  or  are  in  the  habit  of  resorting  to  it  for  health  or  pleas- 
ure, should  turn  their  attention  to  the  study  of  these  departments, 
they  would  find  themselves  richly  rewarded. 


NOXIOUS  AND  VALUABLE  ANIMALS. 


WHENEVER  any  thing  is  presented  to  us  which  has  apparently  been 
the  result  of  careful  study,  but  which  we  do  not  understand,  the  first 
question  we  naturally  ask  is,  "What  is  the  use  of  it?"  —  "In  what 
manner  is  it  calculated  to  promote  or  disturb  my  interests  ?  "  There 
are  many,  into  whose  hands  the  foregoing  Report  may  come,  who  will 
feel  no  other  interest  in  it,  than  as  it  may  inform  them  of  profitable 
sources  of  revenue,  or  the  means  of  averting  damages.  For  such,  I 
propose  to  embody  here  the  little  there  is  to  be  said  respecting  the  in- 
juries and  benefits  derived  from  the  animals  of  which  we  have  been 
taking  a  view. 

Only  a  very  few  of  them  all  are  objects  of  special  regard  to  man. 
Most  of  them  are  small,  some  very  minute,  and  withdrawn  from  his 
view.  They  are  immersed  in  the  streamlet  and  pool,  or  concealed 
under  decaying  leaves  and  logs,  or  buried  in  the  ocean  depths.  And 
when  seen,  they  are  regarded  by  the  common  eye  as  worthless,  or  as 
nuisances.  The  philosophic  mind,  however,  regards  every  link  in  the 
chain  of  being  as  important,  worthy  of  study,  and  indispensable  in  the 
economy  of  creation.  They  are  proved  to  be  designed  for  the  good 
of  man  by  their  preexistence.  The  races  of  vegetables  and  animals 
which  preceded  the  creation  of  man,  all  seem  to  have  contributed  to 
prepare  the  earth  for  nis  residence.  Much  of  its  solid  structure,  the 
coal,  marble,  and  all  other  limestones,  those  valuable  minerals  which 
contribute  in  so  many  ways  to  the  necessities,  comforts,  and  luxuries 
of  man,  are  but  the  consolidated  remains  of  the  countless  genera- 
tions of  plants,  shells,  and  crustaceous  animals  which  have  lived  in 
past  time.  The  small  and  minute  creatures  make  up  the  mass  of  these 
solid  structures ;  while  the  monsters  of  olden  time,  the  mammoth, 
mastodon,  and  gigantic  lizard  are  of  rare  occurrence. 

The  great  agency  which  the  animalcula  are  capable  of  exercising 
upon  the  well-being  of  man,  is  thus  seen  in  the  past.     The  fact  that 
45 


354    INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

they  now  exist  in  such  myriads,  is  enough  to  satisfy  the  devout  mind 
that  they  have  still  some  indispensable  office  to  perform.  The  great 
purpose  of  their  existence  seems  to  be,  in  the  first  place,  to  remove 
dead  and  decaying  substances,  before  they  become  obnoxious.  Their 
multitude  and  minuteness  enables  them  to  do  this  silently,  promptly, 
and  effectually,  quite  unperceived.  In  the  next  place,  they  are  em- 
ployed for  food  by  the  higher  animals,  until  they  become  directly 
useful  to  man  by  nourishing  the  food  on  which  he  himself  subsists. 

But  it  is  not  my  design  to  generalize.  This  might  satisfy  the  un- 
derstanding, but  not  the  cupidity  of  man.  Let  us  therefore  proceed  to 
particulars. 

Of  all  the  animals  in  the  preceding  catalogue,  there  is  but  a  single 
one  which  interferes  materially  with  the  interests  or  possessions  of 
man.  It  is  a  little  animal  which  infests  and  destroys  timber  and 
wooden  structures  built  in  salt  water.  It  has  been  named  Limnoria 
terebrans. 

The  LIMNO^RIA  TE'REBRANS  is  a  minute  crustaceous  animal  about 
three  twentieths  of  an  inch  long,  and  not  quite 
half  as  broad.  Its  two  ends  are  rounded,  and  its 
sides  parallel,  so  as  to  have  nearly  the  shape 
of  a  small  maggot.  Its  color  is  grayish.  The 
body  is  composed  of  fourteen  segments,  the 
seven  which  succeed  the  head  each  bearing  a 
pair  of  short  legs.  It  is  capable  of  both  swim- 
ming and  crawling.  When  touched,  it  rolls  it- 
self up,  by  bending  down  the  head  and  tail.  Its 
food,  contrary  to  the  general,  if  not  otherwise 
universal  rule,  among  Crustacea,  is  vegetable. 
This  little  animal  was  first  detected  by  Robert  Stevenson,  Esq.,  the 
architect  of  the  Bell  Rock  Light-house,  in  1808.  He  sent  it  to  Dr. 
Leach,  who  gave  it  its  name  and  described  it,  in  1811.  Its  habits  and 
ravages  have  since  been  fully  described  by  Dr.  Coldstream  and  Mr. 
Thompson,  in  the  "  Edinburgh  New  Philosophical  Journal,"  and  my 
own  observations  have  added  but  little  to  what  may  be  gathered  from 
theirs. 

The  animal  attacks,  by  preference,  soft  wood,  and  the  softest  parts 
of  wood.  It  selects  pine,  if  it  can  be  had  ;  but  it  was  observed  at  Bell 
Rock,  that  oak,  birch,  and  all  other  wood  there  exposed,  except  teak, 
was  more  or  less  perforated.  All  wooden  structures  immersed  in  the 
sea  are  liable  to  its  attacks.  Sea- bulwarks  are  undermined,  the  piles 


NOXIOUS  AND  VALUABLE  ANIMALS.       355 

and  piers  of  bridges  are  cut  off,  and  canal  locks  are  rendered  inefficient 
by  them.  Dr.  Coldstream  observes,  that  he  is  not  aware  that  they 
ever  attack  floating  timber,  but  confine  themselves  to  fixed  timbers. 
They  are,  however,  abundant  on  the  under  sides  of  timber  floating  in 
timber-docks,  which,  to  be  sure,  is  confined,  though  floating. 

They  select  their  station  below  low-water  mark,  though  some  few 
rise  so  high  as  to  be  left  by  the  tide  a  portion  of  the  time.  If  they 
have  access  to  the  end  of  the  timber,  they  enter  the  soft  portion  be- 
tween the  annual,  hard  rings  of  wood,  and  seldom  pass  out  of  the  cir- 
cle which  they  first  enter.  Their  numbers  are  so  great,  that  no  one 
penetrates  more  than  an  inch  from  the  surface  before  the  whole  tim- 
ber is  occupied  and  crumbling  behind  him  by  every  wave  that  chafes 
it.  Such  as  cannot  enter  the  ends  of  the  timber,  attack  the  sides  and 
burrow  just  beneath  the  surface.  The  whole  surface  is  soon  furrowed 
by  them,  so  that  the  remains  of  circle  after  circle  are  washed  away. 
It  has  been  found  that  where  the  Limnoria  is  abundant,  timber,  how- 
ever large,  will  lose  an  inch  in  diameter  annually.  A  timber  in  the 
dock  of  Mr.  Aspinwall,  near  Winnisimmet  Ferry,  which  was  once  the 
mast  of  a  frigate,  has  been  reduced  to  a  mere  spar  of  about  a  foot  in 
diameter. 

The  animal  is  probably  no  less  abundant  here  than  about  England 
and  Scotland,  where  its  ravages  have  been  so  troublesome.  I  have 
observed  them  at  low  tide,  about  all  the  wooden  structures  which  I 
have  examined  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Boston.  It  therefore  becomes 
a  matter  of  consequence  to  know  how  to  guard  against  them. 

No  very  economical  or  effectual  method  of  protection  has  yet  been 
ascertained.  Casings  of  copper  have  been  used  in  some  instances ; 
but  the  animal  has  succeeded  in  getting  behind  it.  Various  washes 
have  been  applied ;  and  it  is  said  that  verdigris  paint  is  effectual.  The 
most  efficient  method  hitherto  tried,  has  been  to  cover  the  whole  sur- 
face with  broad-headed  nails,  set  close  together. 

These  little  creatures,  which  force  themselves  upon  our  notice  by 
the  ravages  they  commit  on  private  property,  or  works  of  great  public 
utility,  are  nevertheless  not  without  their  use.  A  very  trifling  portion  of 
their  whole  number  interfere  with  the  works  or  the  possessions  of  man. 
The  great  multitude  is  employed  in  devouring  and  disintegrating  sub- 
merged timbers,  which  would  otherwise  remain  almost  imperishable. 
In  this  respect  they  correspond  to  the  wood- boring  larvse  and  beetles 
of  the  land.  "  Let  us  consider,  for  instance,  how  possible  it  is  that 
large  masses  of  wood,  floated  down  by  rivers,  might  accumulate  on 


356    INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

shoals  at  their  mouths  to  such  an  extent  as  materially  to  diminish  the 
outlet  for  the  waters,  which  then  would  rise  and  overflow  their  banks, 
were  it  not  for  the  destructive  boring  of  the  Limnoria.  What  could 
not  be  accomplished  by  brute  force,  and  might  baffle  even  the  ingenu- 
ity of  man  himself,  is  yet  quietly  accomplished  by  the  gradual  and 
steady  operations  of  a  tiny  crab.  The 'trees  are  perforated  and  then 
washed  away,  and  with  them  the  sand  and  mud  which  had  collected 
around,  and  which  would  speedily  have  formed  an  effectual  impedi- 
ment to  the  free  efflux  of  water,  and  to  the  navigation  of  the  river." 
These  remarks  have  full  force  when  applied  to  the  mouths  of  most 
of  the  rivers  emptying  into  the  Atlantic.  "  Nor  must  we  omit  to  no- 
tice the  possibility  of  its  being  the  means,  occasionally,  of  causing  the 
removal  of  those  serious  obstacles  to  the  safe  navigation  of  shallow 
seas,  which  are  caused  by  the  masts  of  sunken  vessels."  * 

If  we  except  the  various  barnacles,  which  attach  themselves  to  the 
bottoms  of  vessels,  sometimes  in  such  numbers  as  materially  to  impede 
their  speed,  I  know  of  no  other  animal,  coming  within  our  limits,  which 
is  either  injurious  or  even  disagreeable  to  man,  in  any  sense.  In  many, 
if  not  in  all,  parts  of  Europe,  the  snails  and  slugs  are  exceedingly 
troublesome  in  gardens.  But  in  this  region  snails  are  rarely  seen, 
and,  in  addition,  the  habits  of  American  snails  seem  to  be  different 
from  those  of  European  ones.  They  do  not  climb  plants  and  shrubs 
for  food,  and  they  mostly  flee  from  the  haunts  .of  men.  Slugs  are 
also  rare,  and  though  occasionally  seen  in  the  vegetable  garden  and 
the  orchard,  are  not  essentially  troublesome. 

The  invertebrate  animals  which  may  be  noticed  as  beneficial,  are 
also  few  in  number.  They  may  be  mostly  arranged  under  1.  Such 
as  contribute  food  to  man :  2.  Such  as  afford  subsistence  to  other  ani- 
mals :  3.  Such  as  are  employed  in  agriculture  and  the  arts. 

1.  Those  which  contribute  food  to  man.  The  article  of  food  which 
is  most  familiar  as  well  as  most  important  among  the  Mollusca,  is  the 
Oyster  ( O'strea). 

The  OYSTER  is  generally  supposed  by  dealers  and  market-men  to  be 
not  now  a  native  of  the  waters  of  this  State.  That  it  was  formerly  of 
native  growth,  they  all  admit;  but  that  it  has  become  extinct  in  places 
now  most  favorable  to  its  growth,  they  all  assert.  The  cause  of  this 
extermination  is  said  to  have  been  what  is  called  a  ground  frost ;  that 

*  Edinburgh  New  Philosophical  Journal,  xvi.  332,  333. 


NOXIOUS  AND  VALUABLE  ANIMALS.      357 

is,  a  degree  of  cold  so  great  as  to  cover  the  bottom  with  a  coating 
of  ice,  and  thereby  to  cut  off  the  oysters  from  all  access  to  air  and 
nourishment.  This  is  said  to  have  happened  about  the  year  1780  ; 
previous  to  which  time,  no  oysters  were  brought  from  more  southern 
waters.  Immense  beds  of  the  shells  of  oysters  which  died  at  that  time 
are  said  to  be  still  visible  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Wellfleet. 

The  above  opinion  is  not,  however,  strictly  correct.  That  no  beds 
of  native  oysters  are  found  at  all  adequate  to  the  supply  of  the  market, 
is  true.  But  old  men  relate  that  they  were  accustomed  to  go  up 
Mystic  River  and  Charles  River,  and  gather  oysters  of  great  size,  be- 
fore it  was  the  custom  to  bring  them  from  New  York.  And  even 
now,  individuals  of  enormous  size  are  occasionally  brought  from  both 
these  places,  and  probably  might  be  found,  by  special  search,  at  any 
time.  Moreover,  from  Dr.  J.  B.  Forsyth,  I  learn  that,  in  all  probabil- 
ity, the  native  oyster  is  abundant  on  the  south  shore  of  Cape  Cod. 
The  following  are  extracts  from  his  letter. 

"  Sandwich,  June  15,  1840. 

"DEAR  FRIEND, 

"  I  embrace  the  first  opportunity  to  give  you  some  account  of  the 
Oyster  found  in  the  western  part  of  this  town,  lying  upon  Buzzard's 
Bay.  I  have  consulted  several  aged  men  in  this  vicinity,  some  eighty 
years  of  age,  and  they  inform  me  that  there  has  always  been  an  abun- 
dance of  the  fish  in  these  waters,  ever  since  their  remembrance ;  and 
it  has  never  come  to  their  knowledge  that  oysters  were  ever  brought 
there  from  any  foreign  location.  They  are  found  along  the  shores  of 
the  bay  for  several  miles,  but  are  much  more  abundant  in  two  or  three 
locations.  They  seem  to  multiply  with  great  rapidity,  and  the  whole 
shore  seems  to  be  lined  with  them,  so  that  at  low  water  you  could, 
at  almost  any  point,  procure  a  bucket  full  of  them  from  the  rocks. 

"  I  am  also  informed,  that  great  numbers  are  taken  in  the  region  of 
Wareham,  a  few  miles  from  our  beds,  and  should  conjecture  that,  from 
their  proximity  of  location,  they  must  have  had  a  common  origin  with 
ours. 

"  There  is  a  statute  in  force  which  imposes  a  penalty  for  catching 
any  of  these  fish  and  carrying  them  out  of  the  town  ;  and  no  citizen 
has  a  right  to  take  for  his  own  use  more  than  one  or  two  bushels  at  any 
one  time.  The  oysters  are  generally  collected  by  a  few  men,  who  bring 
them  to  the  village  and  dispose  of  them  at  fifty  cents  a  bushel,  for 
their  trouble  ;  and  by  selling  half  a  bushel  or  a  bushel  to  an  individual, 


358  INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

the  spirit  of  the  statute  is  not  violated.  This  may  be  repeated  every 
day,  until  the  desired  supply  is  laid  in.  When  placed  in  the  cellar, 
and  fed  from  time  to  time  with  a  little  meal  and  water,  they  will  some- 
times keep  good  for  months." 

The  fact  that  the  oysters  on  the  Buzzard's  Bay  shore  adhere  to  the 
rocks  and  breed  there,  together  with  the  testimony  of  very  aged  men, 
is  sufficient  to  show  that  Massachusetts  is  not  without  native  oysters. 
But  it  is  also  a  well-known  fact,  that  the  supply  for  the  markets  of  all 
the  large  towns  is  obtained  from  the  South.  Hence  has  arisen  a  trade 
of  no  small  importance  ;  and  I  have  taken  some  pains  to  ascertain  its 
extent,  and  the  mode  of  managing  it.  From  intercourse  with  several 
gentlemen  long  engaged  in  it,  but  principally  from  Mr.  Joseph  Hoi- 
brook,  of  Boston,  and  Richard  Libby,  Esq.,  of  Wellfleet,  I  have  gath- 
ered the  following  particulars. 

Almost  the  whole  of  the  oyster  trade  belongs  to  Wellfleet,  near  the 
extremity  of  Cape  Cod.  About  thirty  vessels,  averaging  forty  tons 
each,  and  manned  by  one  hundred  and  twenty  men,  are  employed 
about  three  months  in  the  year  in  importing  them.  The  oysters  are 
mostly  obtained  from  Staten  Island,  Little  Egg  Harbour,  and  Somer- 
set, and  are  called  New  York  oysters.  Less  frequently,  they  are 
brought  from  the  Chesapeake  and  Delaware  Bays.  Small  ones  are 
selected,  about  the  size  of  a  dollar,  and  cost  fifty  cents  per  bushel. 
Forty  thousand  bushels  are  annually  brought  to  Wellfleet,  costing,  of 
course,  20,000  dollars ;  all  of  which  the  oyster  fishers  require  to  be 
paid  in  specie. 

At  Wellfleet  they  are  planted,  as  it  is  termed,  to  increase  their  size. 
The  oyster-ground  should  be  flat,  of  a  sandy  or  fine  gravel  bottom, 
and  where  the  common  tide  leaves  them  dry  about  two  hours.  Muddy 
grounds  soon  choke  up  and  destroy  the  oysters.  The  planting  is  done 
during  the  months  of  March,  April,  and  May,  in  moderate  weather, 
when  the  water  is  not  very  cold.  They  are  permitted  to  remain  from 
seven  to  nine  months,  during  which  time  they  sometimes  double  their 
size.  Their  growth  is,  however,  very  variable,  depending  on  the  sea- 
son, and  in  some  years  the  increase  is  very  slight.  They  are  not  per- 
mitted to  grow  larger,  as  they  have  then  become  of  a  size  most  profit- 
able for  market. 

In  the  autumn,  they  are  again  taken  up,  selected,  brought  to  mar- 
ket, and  sold  at  wholesale  for  one  dollar  per  bushel,  the  cost  of  plant- 
ing, attending,  taking  up,  &c.,  amounting  to  twenty  cents  per  bushel. 


NOXIOUS  AND  VALUABLE  ANIMALS.      359 

Thus  a  profit  of  thirty  cents  on  a  bushel,  or  about  forty  per  cent,  on 
the  cost,  is  realized ;  and  the  town  of  Wellfleet  thereby  realizes  an  in- 
come of  about  8,000  dollars  annually. 

There  are  many  small  beds  around  Boston  and  the  other  seaports, 
where  single  cargoes  are  spread  out,  but  they  are  of  little  account. 
The  whole  amount  of  oysters  used  annually  in  Massachusetts  cannot 
fall  short  of  100,000  bushels. 

The  shells  are  still  further  valuable,  but  of  these  notice  will  be 
taken  elsewhere. 

The  CLAM  (Mya  arenaria)  is  still  more  important,  in  an  economical 
point  of  view,  than  the  oyster.  It  is  extremely  prolific  ;  and  its  exhaust- 
less  banks  are  every  day  accessible  during  twelve  of  the  twenty-four 
hours. 

The  principal  clam-banks  are  along  the  coasts  of  Essex  and  Barn- 
stable  counties.  Nowhere  are  more  collected  than  on  the  flats  of 
Ipswich  and  Essex.  But  clams  also  abound  on  every  muddy  or  sandy 
flat,  however  small ;  and  there  is  perhaps  not  a  mile  of  the  whole 
coast  where  clams  may  not  be  found. 

About  5,000  bushels  of  clams  are  annually  brought  to  Boston  mar- 
ket, and  as  many  more  are  doubtless  consumed  at  other  places. 

But  it  is  not  as  an  article  of  food  for  man,  that  the  clam  is  princi- 
pally important.  Its  chief  use  is  as  bait  for  fishing  cod  and  haddock. 
Nothing  can  be  so  easily  procured  and  kept  in  a  suitable  state  for  bait 
as  the  clam,  and  nothing  else  is  so  palatable  to  the  fish.  Immense 
numbers  are  employed  for  this  purpose.  For  the  bank  fisheries,  the 
shells  are  opened,  and  the  animals  taken  out,  put  in  barrels,  and  salted. 
This  is  called  Clam-bait.  Not  less  than  5,000  barrels  of  clam-bait  are 
put  up  every  year.  Seven  bushels  of  clams  make  about  one  barrel  of 
bait ;  so  that  thirty  or  forty  thousand  bushels  are  used  in  this  prepared 
state,  and  perhaps  as  many  more  are  used  from  the  shell.  The  value 
of  the  clam-bait  is  six  or  seven  dollars  per  barrel. 

There  are  several  other  shells  which,  it  is  averred  by  those  who 
have  tried  them,  are  as  palatable  as  the  clam.  The  QTJAHOG  ( Venus 
mercendria)  is  found  in  considerable  numbers  about  Cape  Cod,  but  it 
is  not  fancied  by  Bostonians  for  food,  though  in  the  New  York  and 
Philadelphia  markets  it  is  used  almost  to  the  exclusion  of  our  common 
clam. 

The  GIANT  CLAM,  or,  as  some  call  it,  the  HEN  CLAM,  (Mactra  gi- 
gantca,)  is  much  esteemed  by  some.  But  it  requires  a  long  process 
of  bruising  and  maceration  before  it  is  sufficiently  tender  for  the  table. 


360    INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

The  EDIBLE  MUSSEL,  (My'tilus  edulis^)  as  its  name  imports,  is  abun- 
dantly used  for  food  in  other  countries.  It  is  plentiful  with  us,  but 
other  shell-fish,  quite  as  easily  obtained,  are  preferred. 

The  LOBSTER  (Homdrus  Americdnus)  is  the  largest  of  all  crusta- 
ceous  animals,  and  is  extensively  employed  for  food.  The  largest  which 
has  been  seen  by  the  Boston  fishermen,  weighed  twenty-eight  pounds ; 
and  those  weighing  ten  or  twelve  pounds  are  not  uncommonly  seen  in 
the  market.  The  average,  however,  is  about  four  pounds. 

Lobsters  are  caught  during  the  six  months  of  warm  weather.  They 
might  be  taken  during  the  whole  year,  but  no  adequate  sale  is  found 
for  them  in  cold  weather.  They  are  caught  about  all  the  islands  in 
Massachusetts  Bay,  and  in  every  cove  along  the  coast.  A  few  con- 
tractors manage  most  of  the  trade.  The  largest  dealers,  Ebenezer 
Weeks  &  Co.,  have  three  vessels  employed  during  the  season.  They 
furnish  the  apparatus  for  catching  them,  and  pay  a  certain  sum  for  each 
lobster  caught.  One  man  will  attend  forty  lobster-pots.  He  raises  the 
pots  in  the  morning  and  secures  his  prey,  and  spends  the  remainder  of 
the  day  in  catching  cod-fish,  with  which  to  bait  on  the  following  morn- 
ing. To  average  one  lobster  per  day  to  each  pot,  is  considered  fair 
luck.  In  this  way,  probably  200,000  are  annually  taken  in  the  waters 
of  Massachusetts.  Nearly  one  half  of  this  number  comes  to  Boston 
market,  while  all  the  inhabitants  of  the  seaboard  supply  themselves 
abundantly  ;  and  the  New  York  market  is  also  principally  supplied 
from  the  waters  of  this  State,  about  Provincetown. 

Lobsters  sell  at  an  average  price  of  about  ten  cents  each,  affording 
a  profit  of  about  ten  per  cent. 

CRABS  are  held  in  little  repute  as  food,  though  a  few  hundreds  are 
annually  sold  at  two  or  three  cents  each. 

2.  Such  as  afford  subsistence  to  other  animals.  Under  this  head 
we  might  at  once  introduce  the  whole  catalogue.  The  fishes  and 
aquatic  birds  devour  them  all,  without  distinction  or  mercy.  Ducks, 
geese,  and  reptiles  pick  up  the  little  cockles  which  live  in  the  brooks 
and  pools.  The  shell-fish  of  the  sea  prey  upon  each  other,  and  all 
become  food  for  fishes.  It  is  surprising  to  find  how  the  largest  shells 
may  be,  and  are,  swallowed  by  the  cod-fish.  Those,  however,  are 
preferred  by  them  which  have  their  shells  gaping ;  such  as  the  Clams, 
Panopdta,  Glycymeris,  &c.  The  death  of  the  animal  swallowed  soon 
occurs,  the  muscles  of  the  shells  relax,  the  gastric  juice  of  the  fish 
soon  dissolves  the  animal,  and  then  the  shell  is  rejected.  The  use  of 


NOXIOUS  AND  VALUABLE  ANIMALS.       361 

the  common  clam  for  fish  bait  has  already  been  mentioned.  The 
Crustacea  are  all  welcomed  by  the  fish  in  a  similar  manner.  To  these 
we  may  add  the  SQUID  (Loligo  illecebrosa)  and  the  various  jointed 
worms  (Annelida)  which  live  in  the  sand  of  the  shore,  some  of  which 
are  a  foot  or  more  in  length. 

The  KING-CRAB,  or  HORSE-SHOE,  (Limulus  polyphcmus,)  is  em- 
ployed as  food  for  hogs ;  and  many  of  them  are  speared  by  boys  for 
this  purpose,  and  sold  for  half  a  cent  apiece.  It  is  also  regarded  as 
excellent  bait  for  eels. 

3.  Such  as  are  employed  in  agriculture  and  the  arts.  In  agricul- 
ture, the  solid  parts  of  the  Mollusca,  their  shells,  are  employed  on 
account  of  the  lime  which  forms  their  basis.  One  of  the  most  useful 
forms  in  which  they  are  found  for  this  purpose,  is  the  shell  marl.  In 
Berkshire  County  this  marl  is  found  in  considerable  quantities.  It  is 
formed  of  the  small,  fresh-water  shells  which  have  subsided  to  the 
bottom,  and,  mingling  with  the  fine  mud,  become  consolidated.  This 
process  is  every  day  going  on.  In  a  few  specimens  which  I  have  ex- 
amined, 1  have  detected  Planorbis  Mcarinatus,  P.  campanuldtus,  P. 
parvus,  Physa  heterostropha,  Valvdta  tricarinata,  Limncea  humilis  ? 
and  Cyclas  dubia,  shells  which  are  now  everywhere  found  in  the 
streams  of  Massachusetts. 

Shell  lime  is  very  much  used  in  many  parts  of  the  world,  and  in 
some  of  the  United  States,  as  an  ingredient  in  composts,  and  for  dress- 
ing grain  lands ;  but  it  has  not  yet  become  so  extensively  employed  in 
Massachusetts  as  would  be  profitable.  Some  little  diversity  of  opinion 
has  arisen  as  to  the  utility  of  lime  in  improving  wheat  crops.  It  has 
been  stated  by  good  farmers,  that  they  have  dressed  their  fields  freely 
with  lime,  without  any  manifest  improvement  of  the  crop  ;  while  the 
next  year,  when  no  lime  is  applied,  the  crop  has  been  ample.  Such 
statements  would  seem  to  discourage  the  use  of  lime  for  grain  crops. 
Dr.  C.  T.  Jackson,  who  has  paid  great  attention  to  agricultural  chem- 
istry, offers  an  explanation  to  this  seeming  evidence  against  the  utility 
of  lime.  He  says,  that  where  lime  is  spread  with  freedom,  it  will  not 
form  its  combinations  with  the  soil  so  as  to  be  of  benefit  during  the 
first  season  ;  but  that  on  a  second  season  its  effects  will  be  abundantly 
apparent. 

Shell  lime  is  preferable  to  stone  lime  in  agriculture,  because  it  is 
sure  never  to  contain  magnesia,  which  is  always  prejudicial  to  the  soil, 
and  which  is  often  a  component  part  of  stone  lime. 
46 


362    INVERTEBRATA  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

The  manufacture  of  shell  lime  is  carried  on  extensively  by  Mr. 
Kingsley,  of  Boston.  The  shells  are  collected  from  the  various 
oyster  shops,  and  are  given  to  him  for  the  trouble  of  removal.  Twenty 
to  thirty  thousand  bushels  are  thus  collected  and  burned  annually. 
The  lime  is  sold  at  twelve  and  a  half  cents  per  bushel. 

Shell  lime  is  also  extensively  employed  in  masonry  ;  and  it  is  with- 
in the  memory  of  man  when  no  other  lime  was  known  for  building, 
along  the  seaboard. 

By  the  addition  of  the  proper  materials,  clay  and  magnesia,  Mr. 
Kingsley  prepares  an  excellent  hydraulic  cement,  which  is  used  not 
only  for  laying  drains,  cisterns,  &c.,  but  its  whiteness  renders  it  suita- 
ble for  the  manufacture  of  fountains,  vases,  and  ornamental  articles, 
which  are  to  be  placed  in  exposed  situations. 

We  find  nothing  else  which  is  employed  in  the  arts,  except  the 
SCOLLOP  SHELL,  (Pecten  concentricus,)  which  is  so  extensively  used 
in  the  manufacture  of  card-racks,  pin-cushions,  &c. 

The  animals  of  several  shells  (Purpura  and  Buccinum)  afford  a 
juice,  when  they  are  bruised,  which  dyes  a  brilliant  purple.  The 
ancients  are  supposed  to  have  derived  all  their  purple  dye  from  this 
source ;  but  other  more  available  articles  have  entirely  superseded  its 
use. 

PEARLS  of  various  colors  and  considerable  size  and  beauty  are  often 
found  in  both  salt  and  fresh  water  mussels.  They  were  once  highly 
valued  in  England,  but  are  not  sought  for  at  the  present  day. 

This  summary,  short  as  it  is,  and  containing  little  that  is  not  already 
familiar,  presents,  nevertheless,  all  that  is  known  to  be  of  direct  use 
and  benefit  to  man.  Some  may  hence  be  disposed  to  inquire,  "  Of 
what  use,  then,  is  the  study  of  so  many  others  which  are  apparently 
useless  ?  "  A  few  words  only  need  be  said  to  such  objectors.  In  the 
first  place,  all  of  God's  works  are  wonderful,  and  worthy  of  study. 
Again,  negative  knowledge  is  useful.  The  most  useful  sciences  are 
made  up  of  trivial  facts.  Newton's  apple,  Young's  soap-bubble,  and 
Galvani's  frog,  have  given  hints  which  have  led  to  almost  the  complete 
developement  of  some  of  the  most  important  natural  laws  which  affect 
us.  And  again,  so  limited  is  our  knowledge  of  the  designs  of  the 
Author  of  nature,  that  animals  which  appear  of  little  importance  in 
relation  to  ourselves,  are  perhaps  as  necessary  to  the  general  plan  of 
the  Creator,  as  those  which  we  place  at  the  top  of  the  scale  of  being. 


INDEX. 


ACALETHJE,     . 
Jlct&on  denticulatus,   . 

trifidus,     . 

Actinia  marginata,     . 
JSga  e marginata, 
ALASMODON,    . 
Alasmodon  arcuata, 

marginata, 

undulata, 

Masmodonta  truncata, 

ALA^TA, 

Alcy'noe  vermicularis, 

Alcyonium  echinatum,    . 

Jl'lpheus  aculeatus, 

AMNICOLA, 

Amnicola  porata, 

AMPHITODA,   . 

Amphitr'ite  auricoma, 

Amphitrite  ventilabrum, 

ANATIFA, 

Anatifa  dentata, 

laevis, 

striata, 


—  vulgaris, 


ANATINA, 
JLnatina  convdxa, 

Lea.ua,    . 

papyracea,     . 

ANCY^LUS, 
AncyMus  fuscus, 

rivularis, 

Anilocera , 

Animal  plants, 

ANNE'LIDA, 

A'NODON, 

A'nodon  fluviatilis,    . 

implicata, 

rugdsus, 

undulata, 

Jlnodonta  cataracta, 

edentula, 

fluvidtilis,  . 

marginata, 

Newtoniensis, 

ANOMIA, 
Anomia  aculeata, 

electrica, 

ephippium,    . 


—  pubescens, 
squamula, 


Anthosoma  Smithii, 
Anthura  gracilis, 
Aphrodita  aculeata, 


Page 
.        347 
199 
.      274 
349 
.      338 
113 
.       113 
116 
.      115 
116 
.      298 
349 
.      351 
332 
.      228 
229 
.      333 
7 
7 
19 
21 
19,  20 
20 
20 
47 
51 
49 
47 
.      223 
224 
.      224 

3:38 

.      349 
7,  342 
.      117 
'*<*.       117 
.      118 
.«!»••!       120 
.       120 
117 
.      120 
'.,  v.        117 
.      118 
118 
.      138 
139 
.       140 
138 
.      141 
140 
.      341 
338 
.      343 

Aphrodite  columba, 
ARCA, 
Area,  caudata, 
miniita, 
pexata, 
ttnuis,     . 
transversa,  . 

ARCACEA, 

A'rgulus  AlosoB,  . 
Armadillo  pilularis,    . 
Ascidia  clavata, 
rustica, 
Asellus  vulgaris, 
Jl'stacus  affinis, 
Bartonii, 

.f'§2 
95 
.      101 
101 
95 
105 
96 
95 
.      340 
336 
.       319 
319 
.      337 
330 
.       330 
331 
.      330 
76 
76 
78 
80 
77 
78 
81,  84 
78 
80 
344 
.      345 
344 
.      345 
345 
.      348 
348 
.      197 
197 
.      197 
199 
.      199 
199 

13 
18 
12 
15 
18 
18 
14 
17,19 
16,18 
15 
13 
14 
11 

marinus, 
ASTAKTE, 
Astarte  castanea, 

lactea, 
plcea,  var.      .            . 

quadrans, 
sulcata, 

Asterias  aranciaca, 
caput-Meduscs,    . 
(fioniaster)  equestris, 

spongiosa, 
Aurelia  aurita, 

AURICULA,            .            * 
Auricula  bidentata,    . 
cornea, 
denticulata, 
myosdtis,       n  ;•;$«-.» 

BALANUS,         .          ,^^    •lX-«>-- 
Bdlanus  davatus,         ••-  i»Uu 
diad&rna,        .        •.  i^.i 
eburneus,         **•&'•*' 

"^^•iSiL- 

ovularis, 
rugosus,        .        tm;jv 
_,  Sc6ticus 

tulipa,     .        ."iyiit; 
Barnacles, 

364 


INDEX. 


Beach-flea, 

Beroe  (Cydippe)  plleus, 

Blood-sucker, 

Bloody  Clam, 

Boltenia  reniformis, 

Botryllus  stellatus,     . 

BRACHIO'PODA, 

BRANCHIO'PODA, 

Branchipus  stagnalis, 

Branchiella  thynni,    . 

BUCCINUM, 

Buccinum  ciliatum,    . 

—  Donovani,       . 

glaciale,     . 

topillus, 

lunatum, 

J\Tov-Eborac6nse, 

obsoletum, 

olivifdrme, 

plicosum, 

rosaceum, 

striatum,    . 

trivittatum, 


—  undatum, 
ventricdsum, 


: —  vibex, 

Bulimus  lubricus, 

BULLA, 

Bulla  canaliculata, 

debilis, 

fontinalist   . 

Gouldii 

hiemalis 

haliotoidea, 

insculpta, 

lineolata, 

obstricta,    . 

oryvza,   . 

solithria,     . 

triticea, 

velutina, 

BULLEA'NA, 
Bullina  canaliculata, 

Caligus  piscinus, 
CALYPTRA'CEA,    . 
CANALl'FERA, 
CANCELLA.RIA, 
Cancellaria  buccinoides, 

Couthouyi, 

CANCER,   . 

Cancer  Bernhardus,     . 

granulhtus, 

—— —  kastatus, 

irroratus, 

Manas, 

mtija, 

pedatus,        f!>}/i 

Sayi, 

stagnalis, 

Caprella  sanguinea, 
CARCINUS, 
Carcinus  Manas. 
CARDIA^CEA, 


Pago 

Page 

333 

CARDITA, 

93 

349 

Cardita  borealis,           r    . 

94 

342 

CARDJUM,        .             . 

89 

96 

Cdrdium  ciliatum, 

89 

319 

edentuluni,  , 

92 

320 

Grcenlandicum, 

92 

140 

Islandicum, 

89 

339 

Mortoni, 

91 

339 

pinnulatum, 

90 

341 

pubcscens, 

89 

303 

rubrum, 

60 

307 
304 

Cary'chium  personatum,  . 
Cecrops  Latreillii, 

.      199 
341 

304 

CEMORIA, 

.      156 

301 

Cemoria  Flemingii, 

157 

312 

Noachina, 

156 

308 

CEPHALO'PODA, 

317 

308 

CERITHIUM, 

.      274 

308 

Cerithiura  Emersonii, 

275 

303 

Greenii, 

.      279 

31] 

nifrro  oinctuin 

277 

305 

reticulaturn, 

.      278 

309 

Sayi, 

278 

305 

tcrcbralc 

276 

307 

CHETO'PODA, 

343 

310 

Chirodota  arenata, 

.      346 

193 

CHITON, 

146 

162 

Chiton  albus, 

.       150 

166 

•  ntj%nj  <^*iia 

146 

164 

dscLloidcs 

150 

211 

cin&reus, 

147 

163 

li1  rv-»a»»  -.^niorino 

151 

163 

f  ii  1  m  i  n  3,  t  u  9 

148 

244 

marginalus, 

.      147 

162 

rubcr 

149 

169 

150 

167 

Chondraclnthus  cornutus,     . 

341 

168 

CINERAS, 

22 

162 

Cineras  vittata, 

22 

165 

CINGULA, 

.      264 

241 

Cingula  aculeus, 

266 

162 

minuta,  . 

.      265 

166 

Cionella  litbrica, 

193 

CIRRl'PEDES, 

10,11 

340 

CIRROBRANCHIA'TA, 

155 

156 

dam,                .             .       29,41 

,  52,  359 

274 

Cochlicdpa  lubrica, 

.      193 

282 

COCHI.ODESMA, 

48 

283 

Cochlodesma  Leana, 

49 

283 

COLIMA^CEA, 

169 

322 

COLUMBELLA, 

.      313 

327 

Columbella  avara, 

313 

322 

COLUMELLA'RIA,       . 

.      313 

325 

CONCHA^CEA, 

72 

322 

CONCH  1'FERA, 

10,24 

322 

Corallines, 

351 

327 

CORBULA, 

43 

333 

Corbula  contracta, 

43,  56 

323 

CORONULA,                  .           f-sikji   ' 

12 

339 

Coronula  diadema, 

12 

336 

Crab, 

325,  360 

321 

Crangon  boreas, 

331 

321 

ffft^ifft^ft  s'7;/?//>  "??/*? 

331 

HQ 

331 

INDEX. 


365 


Crasslna  castanea, 

Danmoniensis, 

CREPIUULA,     . 
Crepidula  convexa, 

fornicata, 

glauca, 

plana,         . 

unguijormis, 

CRUSTACEA, 
Cry'ptodon  flezudsa, 
CULTELLUS,     . 
CUMINGIA, 

Cumingia  tellinoides, 
CYAMUS,   . 
Cy^atnus  ceti, 
Cyanea  Postelsii, 
CYCLAS, 
Cyclas  cornea, 

dubia, 

elegans,    . 


—  partumeia, 

—  rhomboidea 


similis,  . 

sulcata,     • 

CYCLOPS, 

Cyclustoma  margindta,     . 

tric(trinata} 

Cymothoa  oestrum, 
CYPRINA, 
Cyprina  Islandica, 

vulghris, 

CYTHEREA, 
Cytherea  convexa, 

DECA'PODA,     . 

Delphinoidea  serpuloidea, 
DENTALIUM, 
Dentdlium  attenufitumy 

dentale, 

striutum,    . 

Diadbma  vulgarist 

DORIS, 

Doris  arbordscens,  . 

illurainata, 

Earth-  Worm, 
ECHINODE'RMATA, 
Echinus  granulatus, 

E^OLIS, 

Evolis  Bostoniensis, 

diversa, 

gymnota,    . 

rvfibranchialis , 

salmonacea, 

Ephyvra  ootolobata,    . 
Eschara  foliacea, 

lutosa, 

Eury^ale  scutatum, 

Fiddler-  Crab, 
FissurAlla  Noach\na, 
Five-finger, 
Flustra  arenosa,   . 
pildsa, 


Pago 
76 
78 
157 
.      160 
158 
.      161 
159 
.      159 
321 
.        71 
30,  33 
56 
56 
.      335 
335 
.      347 
72 
73 
75 
74 
73 
73 
72,75 
72 
339 
.      192 
338 
.      338 
82 
82,86 
83 
84 
84 

.      321 
247 
.      155 
156 
.      155 
156 
12 
4 
5 
4 

.      343 
344 
.      344 
5 
6 
6 
7 
6 
6 
348 
.      351 
233 
.      345 

325 
.      157 
345 
.      232 
351 

Fusus, 
Fusus  Bamffius, 
carinatus,  . 
cin&reus,            . 
curneus, 
decemcostatus, 
harpularius, 

muricatus, 
pleurotom&rius, 

striatus, 
tornatus, 
turricula,  . 
ventricosus, 

Galericulum  Icevigatum, 
Gammams  minus, 

GASTERO'PODA, 
GELASIMDS, 
Gelasimus  vocans,      . 
Giant  Clam, 
GLYCY'MERIS, 
Glycy'meris  drctica, 

Gordius  inquilinus,    . 
Gymnolepas  Crdnchiit 

HELIX, 
Helix  albolkbris, 
alternate, 
anguldlus,  . 

cellaria,       . 
chersina, 
electrina,    . 
fallax                   u 

gldphyra, 

hortensis,    . 
indentata, 

litbrica, 

monodon, 
nitens,    . 
nitida, 

scabra, 
serpuloides, 
striatella, 

thyroidus,  . 
tridentata, 
Hermit  Crab, 

Page 

.       284 

289 
.  287 

303 
.  284 

287 
.  291 

284 
.  293 

290 
.  290 

288 
.  285 

286 
.  292 

285 

.      241 
334 

.       334 

10,  144 

.       325 

325 

52,  359 
39 
37 
39 
39 
213 
22 
23 

169 
.  170 

177 
.  203 

182 
.  180 

185 
.  183 

174 
.  175 

181 
.  244 

175 
.  172 

181 
.  184 

179 
.  193 

176 
.  174 

181 
.  181 

J76 
.  176 

177 
.  177 

247 
.  178 

172 
.  171 

173 
.  329 


366 


INDEX. 


Hiatdlla  arctica, 

HIPPOLYTE, 

Hippdlyte  aculeatus, 

Hippocrene  Bugainvillii, 

HIPPA, 

Hippa  emerita,     . 

talpoida, 

Hirudo  parasitica, 
Holothuria  chrysacanthophora, 

(Cuvieria)  squamata, 

(Synapta)  briareus, 

pentactes, 

Homarus  Americanus, 

Horse- leech, 

Horse-shoe  Crab, 

HYAS, 

Hyas  coarctata,    . 

Hyperia  Galba, 

ICHTHYO'PHILUS, 

Idotse^a  caeca, 

dntomon, 

INFUSORIA, 
ISO'PODA, 

Jaminia  denticul&ta,    . 

exigua,    . 

fusca, 

JANTHINA, 

Jdnthina  commiinis,    . 

fragilis, 

KELLIA, 
Kellia  rubra, 
King-  Crab, 

LACUNA, 

Lacuna  neritoidea, 

pertusa, 

vincta, 

Laomedea  gelatinosa, 
Lepas  anatifcra,    . 

ansertfera, 

aurtte, 

balanoides, 

bdlanus, 

borcalis, 

dentala, 

diad&ma, 

elong&ta,     . 

leporlna^ 

membranacea, 

rugdsa, 

serrata,       . 

sulcata, 

tintinnal 

vittctta, 

Leeches,     . 

LlBINIA, 

Libinia  canaliculata, 
LIGIA, 

I.I.MAX, 

Limax  togata, 
tunicata,  . 


rage 
63 
.      332 
332 
.      348 
328 
.      228 
328 
.      342 
,         345 
ta,       346 
,         346 
345 
330,  360 
342 
339,  361 
326 
.       326 
335 

.      338 
337 
.       338 
352 
.      336 

199 
.      272 
271 
.      240 
240 
.       240 

60 
60 
339,  361 

262 
.      263 
262 
.      262 
350 
19,21 
20,21 
23 
17 
17 
16 
21 
12 
18 
23 
22 
16 
21 
21 
13 
22 
.      342 
327 
.      327 
337 
,*r-      2 
3 
O.iin     3 

LlMNJE^A, 

Limn&a  acuminata,  . 

desidiosa,     . 

heterostropha, 
macrostoma, 
modicellus, 

LIMNEA^NA, 

Limnoria  terebrans, 
Limulus  poly  phemus, 
Lissa  fissirostra,  . 
LITHODES, 
Lithodes  arctica, 
LITHOPHA'GID^, 

LlTTORlNA, 

Littorina  palliata, 
rudis,     . 
tenebrosa,   . 
Lobster, 
LCEMl'PODA,           * 
Loligo  illecebrosa, 
LOTTIA,            .        .i\»i»' 
Lottia  alveus, 

LUCINA,    . 
Lucina  divaricata, 

radula, 
Lumbricus  terrestris, 
LUPA, 
Lupa  dicantha, 
hastata, 
Lymna^us  navicula, 
Lymn&us  cornkus, 
Lyonsia  hyalina, 

MACH^RA, 
Macha^ra  costata, 
nitida, 
MAC  ROSTOV!  ATA, 
MACTRA^CEA, 
MACTRA, 
Mactra  arctata, 

gigant&a, 

lateralis,   . 
lut&ola, 
ovalis, 

similis, 

subtriangulata, 
tellinoides, 
MAGDALA, 
Malacolta  bivdlvis, 
MARGARITA, 
Margarita  arctica, 

cinerea, 

Page 

.   215 

217 
.  223 

216 
.  215 

219 
.  221 

212 
.  217 

218 
.  218 

200 

338,  354 

339,  361 
.   326 

327 

.  327 
61 

.   257 
260 

.   257 
259 

330,  360 
335 

.   318 
153 

.  154 
153 
69 
70 
71 
69 

.   343 
324 

.   324 
325 

.   215 

223 

46 

32 

24,34 
33 
241 
51 
51 
57 
57 

52,  359 
53 
54 
52 
53 
92 

53,  54 
51,  54,  78 
57 
56 
46 
23 

.   252 
255 

.   256 
252 


INDEX. 


367 


Margarita  helicoides, 
obscura, 

Page 
.      255 
253 
.      254 
114 
.       115 
197 
.      351 
57 
57 
58 
.      171 
123 
.      130 
129 
.       131 
129 
.      123 
128 
.      123 
127 
.      125 
126 
.      123 
339 
59 
59 
.      292 
289 
.      294 
296 
.      284 
286 
.       284 
292 
40 
40 
40,  78,  359 
59 
.      107 
46 
.       114 
40 
.       109 
110 
39 
110 
.      116 
39 
42 
115 
40 
333 
.      333 
333 
.      121 
121 
123,  125 
.            121 
.       126 
.    129,  130 
121,360 
117 
.       125 

117 

My'tilus  incurvdtus,    . 
tnodiolus, 

Margaritdna  margarittfera, 

~  rt*\i    '    * 

Mtldmpus  bidentdtus, 
Membrampora  pilosa,    li^-- 
MESODESMA,  . 
Mesodesma  arctata,       ;t»q"i 

rugdsus, 
umbilicdtus,  . 

NA'IADES,   . 

Nassa  obso/l:ta, 
trimttdta, 
vibex, 
NATICA, 
Ndtica  boredlis,     . 
canaliculata,   . 
clausa, 
consoliddta, 
duplicata, 
flava,   . 

Mesodon  Iducodon, 

MODIOLA, 

Modiola  discors,   . 
discrepans,    . 
glandula, 
Iceoigdta, 
modiolus, 
nexa, 
Papuana,            . 
pectinula, 

Monoculus  polyph&mus, 

MONTACU^TA, 

Montacuta  bidentata, 
Murex  anguldtus^ 
Bamffius, 
canaliculdtus, 

J    .      ^:\\n      * 

NEBALIA, 
Nereis  margaritacea, 
NERITA^CEA,   . 

Nl^CULA, 

JNucula  Jackson  ii, 
•  limdtula 

corneus,     . 
desp6ctus} 

myalis, 

MYA, 

Mya  aciita, 
arenaria, 

sapotilla, 
tenuis, 

complandta, 
hyallna,  . 
margaritifera, 
mercenaria, 
nasiita, 
oblongdta, 
p\cea,             .             . 

thraciaeformis, 
NYMPHA^CEA, 

Oceania  tubulosa, 
Ocy'pode  pugildtor, 
ODOSTOMIA, 
Odostomia  exigua,      . 

rugulosa,       .             . 
siliqua,     . 
truncata, 
vndulata, 
MYARIA, 
Mysis  Fabricii, 

producta, 
seminuda, 

Oniscus  ajf  mis,    . 
asellus, 
.  /•/•// 

spinulosus, 
MYTJLA^CEA, 
MY'TILUS, 
My'tilus  barbatus, 
boredlis, 
de-missus, 
discors  , 
edulis, 
fluvidtilis, 
Gibbsii, 

Ophiura  aculeata, 
lacertosa, 
Orchestia  gryllus, 
littorea, 
longicdrnis, 

OSTEODESMA, 

Osteodesma  hyalina, 
Norv&gica, 
OSTEODESMA^CEA, 
OSTRA^CEA, 

n'£.rnr,T-  1 

Page 
122 
123 
123 
122 
126 
62 
124 
121 


106 
.  308 

309 
.  311 

231 
.  238 

235 
.  238 

238 
.  236 

239 
.  231 

234 
.  237 

233 
.  333 

343 

.  231 
96 

.  102 
98 

.   101 

99 

.   103 

103 
.  101 

100 
.  105 

101 
97 
65 

.   348 
325 

.   269 
272 

.   270 
270 

.   273 
274 

.   336 
336 

.   335 
335 

.   345 
345 

.   334 
334 

.   334 

45 

46 

47 

45 

135 

135,356 


368 


INDEX. 


O'strea  borealis, 

Page 
137 
.      137 
133 
.      137 
137 
.      132 
.'^v           136 

.      136 
22 
23 

•.  -,^>       244 
135,356 

.      329 
329 
.      330 
329 
.      332 
227 
144,  277 
227 
.      229 
332 
44 
44 
44 
37 
37 
352 
.      278 

154 
153 
.      157 
152 
.       157 
158 
.      153 
157 
.      153 
154 
.      153 
132 
.      134 
132 
.      133 
133 
.      132 
7 
83 
70 
70 
341 
20 
20 
20 
225 
63 
65 
63 
63 
26 
26 
28 

Pholas  costata, 

cinnabarma,    . 

latus,         .         ;u 
PHYSA,             .        \>  ^iv.-; 
Physa  ancillaria, 

PHYLLIDiA'NA,      , 

Phylline  Hippogldssi, 
Phyllodoce  lamelligera, 

OPTION, 

OUion  Cuvierii,   . 
Oxy'noe  glabra, 
Oyster, 

PAGU^RUS, 
Pagurus  Bernhardus, 
longicarpus, 
pollicaris, 
Palsemon  vulgaris, 
PALUDINA, 
Paludina  decisa,    . 
limosa, 
pordta, 
Pandalus  annulicornis, 
PANDORA, 
Pandbra,  nasiita, 
trilineata, 
PANOP^A, 
PanopsB^a  arctica, 
Parasitic  Worms, 
Pasithea  nigra,     . 
PATELLA, 
Patella  dlveus,      . 
amc^na, 
apertura, 

PlLtJMNUS, 

Pilumnus  Harrisii, 
PINNOTHERES, 
Pinnotheres  ostreum, 
Pill-Bug, 
PLANORBIS,           .        •»[ 
Planorbis  armigerus, 

campanulatus, 
corpuldntus, 
deflectus,     . 
dilatatus, 
elevktus, 
exacuous, 
exacutus,    . 
hirsutus, 
lens, 
lentus,               . 
parvus, 

PLATYONICHUS, 
Platyonichus  ocellatus, 
PLEUROTOMA, 
Pleurotoma  bicarinata, 

fornicdta, 

plicata, 
PLICA^CEA, 
PCECILO'PODA, 
Pollicipes  lavis, 
Poly'noe  squamata,           • 
Poly^lejias  diadkma,    . 
POLYPI, 
Porcellio  laevis, 

Noachina, 
Patelloida  tcstudinalis, 
Palelloidea  dlveus, 

PECTEN, 
Pecten  concentrictis, 

Pealii, 
PECTENHDES, 

Pectinaria  Belgica,     . 
Pectunculus  maximus, 

Portiinus  peldgicus, 
pictus, 
Prawn,     ,             .             . 
Psam  mdbia  fusca, 

PUPA,  .                         . 
Pupacontracta,    .             . 
curvidens, 
exigua,         .             . 
fallax,     . 
milium,       .         •••'.* 
modesta, 
simplex, 
Purpura  lapillus, 
PUKPURL'FERA, 
PY'RAMIS, 
Py'ramis  striatula, 
PY'RULA, 

Penella  filosa,  J 
Pentdasmis  anatifera,    .  « 
striata,     . 
Pcntelepas  Icevis, 
PEQ,ISTO'MATA,     . 
PETRICOLA, 
Petricola  dactylus,      . 
fornicdta, 
pholadiformis, 
PHOLAUA^RIA, 
PHOLAS, 
Pholas  bifrons, 

Page 
27 
27 
28 
211 
213 
214 
211 
146 
343 
343 
343 
326 
326 
328 
328 
336 
200 
205 
203 
204 
201 
207 
210 
207 
208 
208 
206 
211 
202 
209 
201 
324 
324 
280 
281 
280 
282 
245 
339 
20 
343 
12 
349 
337 
337 
337 
324 
324 
332 
66 
31 
186 
186 
189 
191 
192 
187 
188 
190 
301 
299 
268 
269 
294 


INDEX. 


369 


P^'rula  canaliculkta, 

carica, 

spirata, 

Quahog,    . 

RADIA^TA, 
RANELLA, 
Ranella  caudata, 
Razor  Fish, 
Rtssoa  rupdstris, 

ROSTELLARIA, 

Rostellaria  occidentklis, 

Sabella  penicillus, 
Sand- Bug, 
Sand-  Crab, 
Sand-Flea,       . 
SANGUINOLARIA, 
Sanguinolaria  fusca,  . 

sordida, 

Sauce- pan  fish, 
SAXICAVA, 
Saxicava  distorta, 

pholadis, 

SCALARIA, 

Scalaria  Groanlandica, 

lineata, 

multistriata, 

Nov-A'ngliee, 

planicosta, 

subulata, 

SCALARIAU\A, 

Scollop-shell,   . 

Scutella  parma,    . 

Sea-anemone, 

Sea- Chestnut, 

Sea-Egg, 

Sea-Jelly, 

Sea-Nettle, 

Sea- Slugs, 

Sea-Spider,      . 

Senoclitafasciata, 

SERPULA, 

Serpula  lumbricalis, 

spirillum, 

vermicularis, 

SERPU^LEA, 
SERRIPES, 

Sertularia  pinnata,     . 
Shrimp,     . 

SlGARETUS,       . 

Sigaretus  haliotoideus, 

SKENEA, 

Skenea  serpuloides, 

SoLECtTRTUS, 

Solecurtus  Cariboe'us, 
co  status,  . 
fragilis, 


Solemy^a  borealis, 

velum, 

SOLEN, 

Solen  Caribous, 


47 


Page 

294 

OQfi 

Solen  centralis, 

Page 
31 
34 

294 
86,  359 

344 

.       297 
297 
29 
272 

.      298 

QQ£ 

curvus, 
ensis, 
frdgilis, 
minutus,     . 

SOLENACEA,      . 

Sow-  Bug, 
Sph&nia  Swainsdni,     . 
Spider-  Crab, 
SPIRORBIS, 
Spirorbis  nautiloides, 

29 
28 
31 
63 
28 
.      337 
42 
,      328 
8 
8 
9 

7 
328 
.      324 

qoq 

spirillum, 
Spirula  Peronii, 
Sponges,   . 
Spongia  arborescens, 

8 
317 
.      351 
352 
352 

65 
aft 

ramosa, 

352 
352 

67 
339 
61 
61 
63 
248 
.      249 
250 
.      251 
248 
040 

Squid, 
Starfish, 
Stenosoma  irrorata,    . 
Stomobrachium  lenticulkre, 
Strigilla  divaricata, 
SUCCINEA,       . 
Succinea  avara, 
campestris, 
ovtilis, 
vermita, 

320,361 
.      345 
338 
349 
70 
194 
.      196 
195 
.      194 
196 
.      348 

249 
.      246 
135 
.      344 
349 
.      344 
344 
*U8 

Tdlitrus  gryllus, 
locusta, 
TELLINA, 
Telllna  Bdlthica, 
flexudsa, 
Grcenldndica, 

334 
.      334 
67 
66 
71 
66 
66 

347 
2 
328 
22 
9 
.      246 
q 

rubra, 
sordida, 
tenera, 
tenta, 
TEREBRATULA,     .         ^  . 
Terebratula  caput-serpentis, 
psittaceflj             • 

60 
67 
68 
67 
.      141 
141 
142 

10 

.  .  .  pubesccnS) 

.      141 

scptcntrion&liS)    • 

141 

93 
350 
.      331 
244 
.      244 
247 
.      247 
29,33 
30 
34 

qi 

TEREDO, 
Teredo  navalis, 
THRACIA, 
Thracia  Conradi, 
declwis,  . 

TORNATELLA, 

Tornatella  puncto-striata, 
Tortoise-Leech, 
TRICHOTROPIS,     . 
Trichotropis  borealis, 
costcll(ttus 

26 
26 
50 
50 
50 
245 
.      245 
342 
.      300 
300 
300 

35 

36 
35,36 
28 
30 

TRITONIA, 
Tritonia  arborescens, 
Reyndldsii,    . 
Trochus  costalis,  . 
TUBICOLJE, 

5 
5 
5 
.      252 

370 


INDEX. 


TUBICOLARIA,    . 

Tubularia  indivisa, 

larynx, 

ramosa, 

slellifera,  . 

TUNICA^TA,  . 
TURBINA^CEA, 
Turbo  cinereus,  . 

incarnatus, 

inflatus, 

miniitus, 

neritoides, 

obligatus, 

obs citrus ,     . 

palliatus, 

quadrifascibtus, 

rudis,    . 

serpuloides, 

vestitus, 

vinctus, 

TURRITELLA, 

Turritttla  bisuturalis, 

erosa, 

interrupta, 


ITnio  cariosus, 

complanatus, 

hians, 

nasutus, 

ochraceus, 

ov&ta,    . 

purpurasccns, 

purpiireus, 

radiatus, 

rostrcitus, 

varicdsa, 

violaceus 


"K 

350 
350 
350 
350 
318 
252 
252 
254 
255 
265 
261 
257 
253 
261 
262 
257 
247 
259 
262 
267 
272 
267 
268 

107 
111 
107 
115 
109 
112 
111 
107 
107 
110 
109 
116 
107 

Unio  Virgini&na, 

VALVATA, 
Valvhta  carinata, 

tricarinata, 
VELUTINA, 
Velut\na  capuloidea, 
laevigata, 
rupicola, 
zonata, 
VENUS, 
Venus  bore^lis, 
bucdrdium, 
castanea, 
Danmdnia, 

gemma, 

notata, 
prcepdrca,  . 
_   flrntirn 

sulcata, 

VERMETUS, 
Vermetus  lumbricalis, 
Valuta  denticulata, 
Volv&ria  canaliculata, 

Zua  lubrica, 
Zonites  cell&rius, 

ZOOPHYTES, 

Zurama  pulchtlla, 

Page 
.      110 

225 

225 

.  226 
226 

.  225 
241 

.  241 
241 

.  241 
242 
85 
70 
83 
76 
78 
87 
88 
83 

85,359 
86 
87 
78 
71 
78 
82 
246 

.      246 

199 

.       166 

193 

181 

.  181 
349 
177 


LIST   OF   THE   FIGURES. 


1.     Peclinaria  Belgica. 
2.     Pectinaria  (  ?) 
3.     Spirorbis  nautiloides. 
4.     Spirorbis  sinistrorsa. 
5.     Dentalium  dentalis. 
6.     Balanus  eburneus. 

40.     Saxicava  distorta. 
41.     Petricola  dactylus. 
42.     Sanguinolaria  fusca. 
43.     Tellina  tenta. 
44.     Tellina  tenera. 
45.     Astarte  castanea. 

48      -•  —  ••        ouadrans 

10.     rugosus. 
11.     Anatifa  dentata. 
12.     Lottia  testudinalis. 
13.     Lottia  alveus. 
14.     Crepidula  glauca. 

49.     Cytherea  convexa. 
50.     Venus  fluctuosa. 
51.     Venus  gemma. 
52.     Lucina  flexuosa. 
53.     Cyclas  similis. 

^Sfi                           rliihin 

18.     Cemoria  Noachina. 
19.     Chiton  Emersonianus. 
20.     apiculatus. 

Ol                           nlhii*: 

57.     Cardium  pinnulatum. 
58.     Cardium  Islandicum. 
59.     Cardita  borealis. 
60.     Area  pexata. 
61.     Nucula  sapotilla. 

24.     ruber. 

25  ) 
2Q   ?  Machsera  nitida. 

27.     Panopaea  arctica. 
28.     Anatina  papyracea. 

29  ) 

SQ'  >  Cochlodesma  Leana. 

31.     Osteodesma  hyalina. 
32.     Mactra  oval  is. 
33.     Kellia  rubra. 

34  ) 

0^'  >  Mactra  lateralis. 

36.     Cumingia  tellinoides. 
37.     Corbula  contracta. 
38.     Mesodesma  Jauresii. 
39.     Mesodesma  arctata. 

63,     proxima. 
64.     tenuis. 

66.     thraciseformis. 
67.     Venus  mercenaria. 
68.) 
69.  >  Unio  complanatus. 
70.  j 

73.     radiatus. 

75.     Alasmodon  arcuata. 

78.     Anodon  implicata. 

372 


LIST  OF  THE  FIGURES. 


79. 
80. 
81. 
82. 
83. 
84. 
85. 
86. 
87. 
88. 
89. 
90. 
91. 
92. 
93. 
94. 
95. 
96. 
97. 
98. 
99. 
100. 
101. 
102. 
103. 
104. 
105. 
106. 
108. 
109. 
110. 
111. 
112. 
113. 
114. 
115. 
116. 
117. 
118. 
119. 
120. 
121. 
122. 
123. 
124. 
125. 
126. 
127. 
129. 
130. 
131. 
132. 

Anodon  undulata. 
Anodon  fluviatilis. 
Modiola  plicatula. 
Mytilus  edulis. 
Modiola  discrepans. 
discors. 
pectinula. 
nexa. 
clandula 

Pecten  concentricus. 
Pecten  Islandicus. 
Anomia  aculeata. 
Terebratula  psittacea. 
Bulla  insculpta. 
oryza. 

obslricta. 
canaliculata. 
triticea. 

Helix  albolabris. 
—  =—  pulchella. 
lineata. 

chersina. 
labyrinthica. 
thyroidus. 
indentata. 
arborea. 
electrina. 

-    ^trintolln 

alternata. 
tridentata. 

Pupa  contracta. 
milium. 
modesta. 
curvidens. 
simplex. 

fallax. 
Bulimus  lubricus. 
Succinea  ovalis. 
campestris. 
avara. 
Auricula  denticulata. 
Auricula  bidentata. 
Planorbis  trivolvis. 
lentus. 

133. 

134. 

135. 

136. 

137. 

338. 

139. 

140. 

141. 

142. 

143. 

144. 

145. 

146.) 

147.  J 

148. 

149. 

150. 

151. 

152. 

153. 

155. 

156. 
157. 
158. 
159. 

160. 

161. 

162. 

163. 

164. 

165. 

166. 

167. 

168. 

169. 

170. 

170.* 

171. 

171.* 

172. 

172.* 

173. 

173.* 

174. 

174.* 

175. 

175.* 

176. 

176.* 

177. 

177.* 


Planorbis  campanulatus. 

bicarinatus. 

hirsutus. 

deflectus. 

exacutus. 

armigerus. 

parvus. 

dilatatus. 

Physa  helerostropha. 

ancillaria. 

elongata. 

Limnaea  columella. 

chalybea. 

elodes. 

macrostoma. 

umbilicata. 

desidiosa. 

modicellus. 

Ancylus  fuscus. 
Ancylus  rivularis. 
Valvata  pupoidea. 
Valvata  tricarinata. 
Amnicola  porata. 
Sigaretus  haliotoideus. 
Velutina  Isevigata. 
Velutina  zonata. 
Natica  canaliculata.     . 
flava. 

heros. 

duplicata. 

triseriata. 

pusilla. 

clausa. 

immaculata. 

Lacuna  vincta,  var. 
Lacuna  neritoidea. 
Scalaria  Grosnlandica. 
Cingula  minuta. 
Margarita  obscura. 
Cingula  aculeus. 
Margarita  undulata. 
Turritella  interrupta. 
Margarita  arctica. 
Pyramis  striatula. 
Margarita  argentata. 
Odostomia  producta. 
Littorina  rudis. 
Odostomia  fusca. 
Littorina  tenebrosa. 
Odostomia  exigua. 
Littorina  palliata. 


LIST  OF  THE  FIGURES. 


373 


178. 
178.*- 
179. 
180. 
181. 
182. 
183. 
184. 
185. 
186. 
187. 
188. 
189. 
190. 
191. 
192. 
193. 
195. 

Odostomia  seminuda. 
Lacuna  vincta. 
Odostomia  trifida. 
Cerithium  Emersonii. 

196. 
197. 
198. 
199. 
200. 
201. 
202. 
203. 
204. 
205. 
206. 
207. 
208. 
209. 
210. 
211. 
212. 
213. 

Buccinum  lunatum. 
Columbella  avara. 
Fusus  Bamffius. 

,    ffnvi 

Pleurotoma  decussata. 

Ranella  caudata. 
Rostellaria  occid  entails. 
Pyrula  canaliculata. 
Trichotropis  borealis. 
Buccinum  Donovani. 

Tornatella  puncto-striata. 
Skenea  serpuloidea. 
Cancellaria  Couthouyi. 
Fusus  harpularius. 
rufus. 

Buccinum  rosaceum. 

plicosum. 

Page  16, 
"  24, 
«  46, 
"  56, 
"  60, 
76, 
78, 
85, 
86, 
122, 
148, 
"  150, 
"  167, 
"  176, 
«  221, 
«  231, 
«  236, 
"  249- 
"  256, 
"  263, 
«  263, 

"    267, 
"    285, 


line  19, /or  10 
"  26,  «  nitida 
"  18,  "  10 
"  9,  "  34 
it  26,  "  23 
"  27,  «  44 

23,  de/<?  45 

17,  /or  52 

38,    "    52 

23,    «    tuburcular 


read  7 
"    costata 
"    31 
"    36 
"    33 
"    45 


67 
67 
tubercular 


19,  after  pubescent  insert  Figure  23. 
27,  for  27  read  21 


13,    "     113 

27,    "    41 
5,  dele  145 
12,  for  160 
8,  dele  163 
•262,/or  160-168 
I  ne  22,  for  35 
33,    "    35 


47 

91 

163 


"  170*,  171*,  &c. 
"  34 
"  135 
26,  read  by  A.  Binney,  Esq.  It  may  prove 

to  be  a  good  species,  &c. 
8,  for  38     read  238 
16,  "  13      "  24. 


Vc,  .:-. 


/  4.  Gould  del! 


figure  2S  to  33 


.Figure  3  4  to  52 


Figure.  53  to  67 


TH* 


figure  66' to  7# 


.  T  H-t 


'  71  tv  74 


Figure! 5  toll 


Figure 


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Figure  $2  to  13P 


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116 


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125 


727 


f7./*  Storm  Sc. 


132. 


737 


735 


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733 


738 


156 


156 


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